The Long Goodbye
by Megan Black
Summary: The war has been over for a year, Ginny and Harry have been dating since the last battle. Ginny however breaks up with Harry at her graduation and leaves for Switzerland, when she is surprised with a little visitor...
1. A long goodbye

Finals were over, classes had concluded, Harry was back in town for Ginny's graduation. She had an offer to enter Britain's Ministry of Magic Auror Program, everyone wanted to get their hands on the seventh year who had helped Harry Potter defeat "You Know Who". However there was another offer she had kept private, a chance to work for the International European Auror Program, which held its headquarters in Switzerland. It was a chance of a lifetime, to be able to train under the best in the world.

There was one thing that stopped her. Harry. They had been together steadily for a year... she loved him, she always had. She was beginning to wonder though if she could really remember what she was without him. She had never been the girl to let a boy define her, in fact most boys had enjoyed the fact that she held her own, yet she broke her own rules for him. She catered to his schedule and more often than not bent over backwards to make him happy. He was always good to her though, he never took advantage of the fact she would do anything for him.

With the end of her seventh year coming she felt an even greater need to stand on her own. She often wondered about the job working for an International defense team, knowing Harry would never leave Britain; he had just been able to get the Ministry back on target. He knew about Ginny's offer to work for the MoM but was also aware she had other offers, he had refrained from asking her too much about it, he learned long ago to avoid business pillow talk.

Since he had left school, he and Ron had gotten a flat together in downtown London close to Diagon Alley. Hermione and Ginny were frequent visitors, and now that Hermione and Ron were engaged it seemed only a matter of time before Harry proposed to Ginny. They spent evenings talking about it sometimes, and always Ginny felt a certain level of panic arise knowing that her life was almost all planned out for her. Harry was the only boy she ever loved, the only boy she had ever allowed to go "that" far with. She loved him, and she felt no shame in taking their relationship to that level, it relieved the stress that both of them had allowed to build over the past few years.

As Harry walked through the doors of Hogwarts with stride, he had just come from the Burrow; the ring was sitting in his pocket. The ceremony took place in the Great Hall, but he was a few hours early and was planning on meeting Ginny in the Head Girls Dormitory.

He strode carefully, it was a habit, always sneaking around the castle during his school days, knowing that with his luck he would see McGonagall and she would get on to him about unannounced visitors, 'what would Mr. Weasley say if he knew you were visiting his daughter'...

He stood outside the door, his heart was swelling, he could smell her, it was a shampoo or a perfume of sorts, he never could quite pin it down, but it was intoxicating. He knocked gently,

"Ginny?" he asked,

"Harry!" she said opening the door as he came in for a hug, knowing that in a few minutes he would quite possibly be very angry with her.

"You know I miss you more every time I have to leave you?" he laughed

"Oh really? Shagging that good?" she chuckled

"Mmm" he said kissing her, "Its been a while..." she smiled, it always started like this, a playful game of dropping hints, followed by a time of laughing tickling, and then it happened

"We have a few hours before I have to be in the Great Hall..." she said now unbuttoning his collar,

"Oh Ginny Weasley are you trying to seduce me?"

"Maybe... or I could just be teasing you, making you think you'll get some only to take it right out from under your adorable little nose"

"Mm, I guess I will just have to take my chances then," He started stroking her head, it was a surefire way into bed with her, he put his hand on the small of her back pulling her in close, then she backed away. She proceeded to take off her shirt and place it neatly on the chair,

"I don't care if Ron and Hermione know we have been shagging but I would prefer my whole family didn't know how you take advantage of me when we are alone" she said now pulling him down to the bed.

There was a part of her that always fell apart when Harry kissed her, it was the way his hand was placed so perfectly around her face, the way he whispered in her ear that sent goose bumps through her entire body.

Yet she knew in her heart they couldn't go on like this forever, the real world was headed for them like a freight train, she left a week after graduation for Switzerland, she hadn't told him yet, this was the first she had seen him since she found out and she couldn't do this in a letter.

"Gin," he said stroking her face

"Mhm"

"What's on your mind?"

"We can't do this forever you know"

"I know pretty soon I'm going to have to make an honest woman out of you" he said smiling down at her, but she only returned with a half hearted grin,

"I leave for the International Defense Team in Switzerland next week," she said getting it all out in one breath, avoiding eye contact at all cost.

"You're leaving me?" he said not really expecting or wanting an answer, "after everything... your leaving?"

"Harry you have sent me through the ringer more times than I care to recall, first with all the noble deed business, needing to defeat Voldemort, I understood and I sat aside, I also waited all through our last year together at Hogwarts when you popped in and out of my life, saying you cared about me, _kissing_ me, and then the next day telling me it was a mistake, but I put up with it because you were _Harry Potter_ and you had things to do to save wizarding kind, and this last summer after it was all over you came to me and I took you in forgiving everything, but I never forgot. Then on your birthday when we... shagged for the first time I realized I never wanted to lose you and I spent my entire seventh year pining for you, waiting for your letters, and now I realize... I don't know who _I_ am without you. I may never have another chance like Switzerland, and for once I'd like to be defined as something other than Harry Potter's _Girlfriend_" and there it was, every resentment, every feeling of inadequacy she had ever felt for him out in one splurge.

"So you can't be with me because I'm Harry Potter? Because all of a sudden that hero worship doesn't sound that great? You know me Ginny you always call me on whatever shit I throw at you, but I'm calling you on yours now, because that's what this is, this is shit"

"No it isn't! I'm sick of always feeling like I have to measure up to be something that I'm just not, I'm not going to be the perfect wife, I don't want to get married right out of school, and I want a life of my own!"

"Since when have I ever tried to stop you?" They were both out of bed now, putting their clothes back on

"NOW! YOU ARE TRYING TO STOP ME NOW! YOU WANT ME TO BE JUST LIKE MY MOTHER!"

"WHAT?!?!"

"You always tell me how much you _want_ a big family, with a lot of kids always scurrying around; I'm not ready for that yet! I'm only _eighteen_ years old! Did you know I got recruitment letters from every major Auror Program in Europe? Not to mention a try out with the Chudley Cannons had I chosen to accept it? AND I CANT DO ANY OF IT BECAUSE IM _SCARED_ OF LOSING YOU!"

"But you are," he said quietly, "your leaving me" she couldn't look at him, her eyes were turning red and tears were sure to flow soon,

"I have to Harry, just for a little while, after 2 years I will have an opportunity to return to Britain as an International Consultant"

"I'll wait for you," he said his eyes solemn, brimming with tears,

"No, Harry if we are truly meant to be we will find our way back to each other... and if not then we weren't meant to be"

"And you really want to take that chance?"

"If it means that I can be happy on my own... and that when we get together we know it will be right, then yes"

His eyes looked hurt and defeated, it made her stomach turn, her heart felt like it was in knots.

He wanted to throw up, this couldn't be happening, how could she be leaving, the room was spinning and nothing seemed as it should.

He went into the bathroom to collect his thoughts, then to throw up, he had his head between his legs, trying to breath, what was happening to him? He never got like this, even when he had a chest cold, it was nothing like this, then his heart hurt, it just ached, it sent uncomfortable shockwaves through his entire body. He splashed water on his face and tried to get through his head what had just happened.

For the longest time she couldn't move, every part of her felt numb, as if something had been ripped from her and she couldn't speak, and before she knew it she just sat on her bed and cried, cried out every bit of hurt, every bit of anger that resided in her.

They were both a little late from the ceremony. Ginny had left the room first, telling him she was going, he followed shortly after. Before the ceremony began Ginny went to speak to McGonagall to tell her the final decision Ginny had come to about life after Hogwarts. The Headmistress was surprised but elated for Ginny; it was a rare occurrence that a student chose a path so far from home, especially some one as close to their family as Ginny Weasley was.

Ginny had been elected as the Seventh Year Speaker; she approached the podium nervously,

"The day has finally arrived, a day we swore we would celebrate, a day we swore would be the happiest of our lives, yet I can't help but feel the sudden sting of loss at what is no longer here to call our own. We enter the wizarding world now with every opportunity; we enter as a new hope, though not unscathed in the war against Voldemort. These scars he has left us with, visible or not, will forever change our lives, and if we try, we can see through the darkness and feel the happiness we felt walking through this Hall for the first time. To make each day for the future, refusing to live in the past" She stepped away and looked in the audience, her whole family was smiling, aside from Harry who just looked at her like a wounded puppy.

They went through and announce one by one every graduate, and as Ginny stepped up the pace changed slightly,

"The final Weasley to enter through these gates for another decade, will leave a legacy unmatched by her siblings, Head Girl and Quidditch Captain, she has always shown exceptional leadership skills, and will be leaving us before summer's end to report to Switzerland for the International Defense Team Auror Program,"

While her classmates cheered, and Ginny did her best to smile, her family was clearly perplexed and shocked, they clapped however. Her brothers beaming with pride, and again Harry just looked at her like a kicked dog, she then went to sit down with her classmates where she was recieved with overwhelming congratulations.

Hermione nudged Ron, and then he saw what she had, Harry, looked upset, his face was all screwed up, like he was attempting a very complicated math problem, he was the first to leave as soon as the ceremony had finished. He made his way to the lake where he had spent many sunlit days, where his father and mother had spent time together, where he and Ginny had broken up for the first time. He stared at the lake, completely at a loss.

"Harry?" Ron asked at Hermione's request

"It's over" he stated plainly

"Harry, she's just going for a little bit, I'm sure-"

"No Hermione, she doesn't want to stay together, she doesn't want me to wait for her, its over" neither Ron or Hermione knew quite what to say

They did however take a cue when Ginny left her admiring classmates and headed over to Harry

"I do love you" she said quietly

"How? How can you do this to me, if you love me?"

"The same way you did it to me when you needed to be on your own"

She knew it wasn't fair. He at the time was on the verge of defeating the most the world had ever seen. Where she… she was merely graduating. Leaving the tumultuous life that had so plainly fell into her lap.

"I just," she paused trying to choose her words carefully, "I need to do this, more for my own selfish whims… I need to do this"

Harry just looked at her, his eyes no softer than they had been previously, "Just hurry home Gin,"

"Don't wait for me, this isn't going to work if you wait for me, I want you to be happy and seize every opportunity… I want to know that you are going to be okay"

"I'll be fine, better when you come back, but fine"

That's the first chapter… It'll get better as I go on… R&R!


	2. Apprehensive

The next week Ginny spent with a constant knot in her stomach. Ron told her it served her right for breaking Harry's heart. Hermione would physically abuse him in some way and tell Ginny she understood, but she couldn't, not really. Unless you had been in the situation yourself you had no idea. You couldn't.

Harry had been busying himself at the Ministry, though he was in the Auror training program, he was given considerable responsibility due to his experience with Voldemort's "inner circle". He figured if he was working hard enough, when he got home he would be too tired to notice that Ginny didn't write, or that she wouldn't be coming by. He could just sleep; sleep to escape the depression he was sure to slip into if he let himself think about it too much.

Ginny was set to have her going away party that Friday; she had to be at King's Cross at 8 the next morning. Hermione had sat with her as she packed, not so subtly trying to bring up Harry. He wasn't going to be coming, according to Ron "work is all backed up", not to mention Witch Weekly had just named Harry it's Most Eligible Bachelor so he was required to go in for a photo shoot of sorts.

She would miss him, but right now she was more concerned with how she was going to pack all of her books, her pictures, and the letters that Harry had written her. It was hard to think of leaving the Burrow; she was excited though for the adventures that awaited her.

She could hear the members of the order coming in, followed by the sounds of her classmates,

:"It's really remarkable you know" she heard Hermione say, "Ginny is one of only fifteen people this century to be accepted into the Program directly from school" she smiled, leave it to Hermione to spout off the most pointless facts possible.

"Gee, stop Hermione your making me blush!" she laughed, "Really it's not that big of a deal"

"You were always good in the DA" Neville piped up

"Thank you Neville" she said shaking her head.

The evening was filled with stories of bad bogie hexes and late night rendezvous in abandoned hallways. Most everybody had left and it was just Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna, after the firewhisky came out so did the real juicy stories.

"Remember in first year when I caught Percy snogging Penelope Clearwater?" Ginny said now slightly intoxicated

"Blegh" Ron added, "Almost as weird as seeing your best mate snog our little sister… and then sneak off alone together" Hermione kicked him in the shin, hard,

"OW!"

"Ronald! Shut up!"

"It's okay Hermione, it's true," every one looked at each other awkwardly as she continued, "Thaz why itz going to be so hard to get over 'im. I love him, we shagged, it was great, now I'm goin' 'way,"

"Ginny I think its time we go up-"

"No, no Hermione this iz good," she said now starting to get very tired "On second thought im getting very sleepy" she said goodnight to everyone as Hermione helped her up the stairs

"Thiz iz going to be uch harder than I thought"

"You knew it would be Ginny" Hermione said as a matter of factly

"So you and Ron done the deed yet?" Hermione laughed, "You don't have to tell me, Harry and I did, on his birthday, Happy eighteenth birthday to Harry,"

"Oh Ginny, did not want to hear that"

"Sorry, I wish he had come, and he didn't, not even for a sec'nd to graces us with his dark and twisty presence"

"He's stubborn Gin, you know that"

"I just thought he'd come to say goodbye," she buried her head in Hermione's shoulder and sobbed for the better part of an hour before passing out

Hermione sat by Ginny, contemplating her mixed emotions, she wanted to be mad at Ginny for being so selfish but part of her could see what Ginny needed, or at least see why she needed it.

Harry had spent the evening buried in work when Ron came stumbling in,

"Slow down there mate" he said

"You missed out one hell of a party"

"I had-"

"Work, yah, I know, she still wanted you there"

"Not yet mate, not yet" Harry said wishing he had followed his instinct and pretended to be asleep

"The train leaves King's Cross at 8 tomorrow, she's going by herself" Ron mumbled right before he passed out

Harry lay awake in bed, he couldn't sleep. He was nervous, no that wasn't the word, he was apprehensive. Apprehensive about what to do next, could he really just let her leave without saying goodbye? He slept lightly that night, waking almost every hour and at 6AM he made his decision, he showered quickly and waited arrived at Kings Cross at 7:00 waiting in the lobby. She was sure to come, and he had to see her… if only for a moment.

She woke up the next morning, with a terrible hang over, knowing she would sleep well on her way to the apparition point. Her mother waited downstairs with an incredibly large breakfast not to mention a little bag of snacks once she arrived on the train.

As she treaded in the train station everything seemed so much bigger. The ceilings seemed to mock her, and the people around her seemed to be glaring, after a few moments of feeling sorry for herself.

Then she saw him, his hair was a helpless mess, his face the same one she had looked upon for years not really understanding everything that went on behind it, but desperately trying.

He looked up, there she was her eyes searing into his heart, he stood up and did his best to put on a brave face, he even attempted a broad smile, but it only turned into a half hearted grin.

"I'm glad you came" she said slowly looking up at him,

"I just wanted you to know, I respect what you are doing, and maybe it is all for the best," at this point he was glad Ginny didn't no Leglimens

"Really?"

"Yes, and I will try and move on, work is busy right now as it is, and if you can keep a secret I've been thinking about going to an open quidditch try out,"

"No way!! That's great Harry, really!" he was going to move on, he wasn't going to need her anymore

"Thanks I guess you have to be going though," Harry said wanting to leave before he said anything he would regret

"Yes, well I better get going" she said trying to regrip all of her bags,

"Do you need help with those?"

"You don't have to anymore Harry, you're not my boyfriend"

"Yes well I am first and foremost your friend, and as a friend do you need any help?"

"Sure" she said laughing, they walked in almost silence to the train, she usually wouldn't have let him help her, but she was tired, she had been very tired, but she blamed this exhaustion on her 'hang over'

Harry loaded her bags into the compartment for her, and stepped off the train, with Ginny following closely behind.

"Well I guess this is goodbye" she said looking up at him, unsure of whether she wanted him to kiss her knowing it would complicate things, yet longing for it all the same.

"Yah. I guess so" he turned to her, there was a moment when he thought they would kiss, but she turned to just hug him. He buried his head close to her hair, trying to remember always what it smelt like. The softness of her hair as it fell across his hands.

They parted slowly,

"Will you be home at Christmas?" he asked,

"It depends on my case load"

"Right, well keep in touch,"

"You too, I hope everything works out for you"

"Thanks Gin," With that she turned around and made her way back to the train, not looking back, refusing to look at could have quite possibly been the biggest mistake of her life.

The walk back was long, and he felt as though she had been ripped from his heart all over again.

She sat on the train looking at her briefings, her stomach was acting up again, she felt nauseous, she ran for the loo and got there just in time.

"Oh, gagh, this is disgusting, damn nervous stomach" she had _never_ had a nervous stomach before but she couldn't think of _any_ other reason that she would be feeling like this.

"You alright Miss?" she turned around to see a very tall man reaching out to help her up

"Yes, jus a little nervous I guess"

"You're headed for the Defense team as well I assume?" he asked now smiling slightly

"You would assume correctly" she was now up and rather embarrassed

"A little young aren't you?"

"I was possessed by Voldemort when I was 11, fought off Death Eater's when I was fourteen and fifteen, and at sixteen was at the last battle when Harry finally defeated Voldemort"

"Ginny Weasley?" he said nodding knowingly

"You've heard of me then?"

"You were the reason I almost didn't get in" at this point he was following her back to her cart

"Sorry about that, how old does that make you?"

"Twenty-one"

"A regular Dinosaur" she laughed opening her compartment door, '

"Yeah well, it happens as the years go by"

"Would you like to sit with me, I mean I have this compartment to myself, it could be nice to know somebody before we arrive,"

"Well that would be just wonderful, you'll have to give me a few minutes though, I'll just grab my stuff"

"Alright, I'll be here"

The door shut behind him and she let a sigh of relief. She had been worried that everyone in the defense program would not only be far too old for her to consider them her peers, but that they would also be exceedingly pompous.

He came back with one trunk which he tucked neatly away in the above compartment.

"Travel lightly don't you?" she asked shocked anyone could pack their entire life into one trunk

"Well not much I want to take with me from my old life"

"Oh, dark and mysterious past?"

"Incredibly boring life up until now" he said chuckling "especially next to Harry Potter's girlfriend"

"He's not my boyfriend" she said quickly, maybe even too quickly

"Oh really?"

"Well not anymore, we broke up before I came here, giving ourselves a break to pursue our dreams" she continued

"Very noble reasoning" he said nodding but looking slightly amused

"What are you smiling at?"

"He saw you off didn't he, that's why your so flustered and don't want to be alone" her mouth gaped, "I knew it, I should have told you I'm on the defense team for psycho-analysis, not only that but I happen to be quite good at Leglimens"

"Well aren't you special"

"Oh, quite" he laughed again, he had kind eyes, eyes that hadn't been haunted and grayed by the plight of war,

"Well if you don't mind I'm going to get a quick nap in before we arrive at the Academy"

"Of course" he said pulling out a book and beginning to read.


	3. Stomach bug?

"… And that is why you must be practicing your occulemency and leglimens regularly," Ginny groaned, it was like being in Hogwarts, but harder and without the social network.

The past few weeks had been stressful and her stomach was still acting up, she was throwing up more now than she did in the seven years at Hogwarts. To top it all off she had only seen the Tall Stranger (whose name happened to be Dane Albright) a few times, and their conversations were brief and rushed.

She had been right about a lot of the people that attended the academy, were smug, arrogant and completely addicted to work. She had been relieved to find that the pub down the mountain was a regular visiting space of most of her colleagues, who seem to be giving her the cold shoulder.

On certain occasions she had caught people looking at her with the eyes of cats, judging her every move. God only knows what they must have been saying about the girl who throws up all the time, maybe that Potter boy was too much stress.

Though she had deemed her problems on stress there was a suspicion creeping that had nothing to do with sickness and everything to do with her future. She had decided if it didn't get better in a week she would see the medics about it.

"Ginny!" she heard from behind her,

"Hey Dane!" he looked out of breath and his clothes were dischevled but it was nice to see a kind face every once and a while

"When are you free?"

"Well I have my dueling class until eight, and after that I usually go to the pub"

"Well could I escort you?" he asked noticeably nervous, yet at the same time excited

"Sure, meet me outside the West Gate at 8:15?"

"Will do, well I have to run I have to be at my Beasts Class in 10 minutes"

"Alright see you soon" with that he was off again in a flurry.

She had a few hours until her next class and with an overwhelming sense of homesickness she broke down and wrote her first letters since she had arrived.

_Hermione,_

_How are you? Is my brother treating you alright? If he's not give him a bat bogey hex from yours truly. Classes are hard, but I am learning a lot. Its strange being surrounded by so many people older than I am. I got your post about visiting, and I would love to have you, unfortunately it could only be you, they have specific rules about visitors of the opposite sex, and more than one at a time. They don't like us to be too distracted here._

_Hope to see you soon!_

_Ginny_

_Family,_

_Everything is spectacular here. I love it and I'm learning loads. I miss you though, I miss Fred and George and their witty humor. I miss the smell of the Burrow in the morning, I miss moms cooking and dads daily updates on the ministry, I miss you all so much and I hope that I will be home for Christmas and if not… I'll come home when I can._

_I love you all very dearly!_

_Ginny_

_Harry_-

she stopped, she didn't know what to say, should she drone about how much she missed him, how every time she looked at a lake or underneath the trees she saw him. No she shouldn't.

_Everything is going well at school. Its hard, boring a times and they are trying to teach us occlumency and leglimens and it's a lot harder than I ever dreamed. Things are going well though. Hope everything is going right with you_

_Ginny_

It was hard to write to the man you love and pretend not to care. She had to abandon those thoughts though, she had to move on. She had told him she would and she planned on doing so. Not necessarily on to some one new but, on as in past him. For now anyway.

Dueling club wasn't as hard as Ginny first thought, most of the first few weeks her classmates spent bragging about who they had fought, yet when asked Ginny didn't want to brag. She knew if they knew anything about real battle they would know its nothing to brag about. Its nothing you want to relive, who wants to relive watching innocent people be murdered by a man whose sole purpose was to kill. It was sick when she thought about it and it pushed her even harder to be a better dueler.

More than once her dueling coach had commented on this inner drive she was able to come up with and every time her classmates looked at her and rolled their eyes. They would see soon enough though that Ginny Weasley wasn't just some pint sized pixie… she was a fireball.

"Harry Potter!" the coach called as Harry mounted his broom,

"Yes sir"

"Ah, I saw you play at Hogwarts, wicked fast flier boy," he said nodding to his colleagues

"Yes sir"

"Oliver Wood tells us you're a hell of a competitor too"

"Not as much as he is but I would like to think I am" he replied

"Well let's see then" he grabbed his whistle "On my mark one two TWEEEEET" and harry was off, zipping through the air rising quickly keeping his eye out closely for the snitch, and there just above the middle goal post he saw it. The broom almost flew out form under him as he sped across the sky, he followed the snitch in a heavy dive where it hovered not more than 2 feet off the ground. And then,

"Three minutes and seventeen seconds!" shouted one of the scouts.

"Aye but can he do it in the contents of a match?" one of the others inquired

"According to Oliver he could do it blindfolded" the scout responded

"We will be in touch Mr Potter"

Harry nodded and stepped off his broom and into the lockeroom. It was empty now, he had been given the last spot to offer privacy. It would have brought too much attention if he had been in the midst of the hundreds of other quidditch hopefuls. Yet now he wished he had someone to talk to about it, ask them how he did in comparison to the others.

He showered and headed back for his and Ron's flat. Life had been busy, everyone seemed to be doing their best to ignore the fact that Ginny was in fact gone. Mrs Weasley and Hermione were drowning themselves in the Wedding, Ron was going head to head with his Auror Training program, and Harry had been getting through, one day at a time.

He went inside glancing casually at the clock, and then through his post. Letters from the ministry, letters from witch weekly, and then he saw it. A letter from Switzerland, he put the other letters down and walked to his room, shutting the door quietly and staring at the letter.

This letter had a lot of ground, it would be the preface for their entire relationship form here on out. He opened it.

It was simple, concise and to the point. There was nothing entirely heartfelt about it, and there were no underlying themes that had anything to do with the love he knew he still felt.

This is how it would be. He would learn to cope in time, yet now he simply needed to find a way to respond with an equally dry letter.

"Miss Weasley it is now 8:18 and I was getting worried" Dane smiled

"All girls are allowed a twenty minute grace period, just the proper amount of time to primp" she replied in her most sassy of voices.

They made their way to the pub, talking primarily about school and how they both despised it. It was an easy conversation. There were no strings attached to it, no long torrid romance, it was simple, which made it intriguing and appealing.

After their meal, they drank wine and conversed easily. He was sitting closer to her now than he had in the beginning yet she hadn't moved away just yet

"So if I may ask, why did you and Harry break it off?" she had been expecting this at some point yet it was a hard question to answer.

"You know when you are going through your awkward tween years, when you feel uncomfortable in your own skin and it seems as though nothing is right just because you don't feel like yourself anymore. You don't have a hold on what you used to find so valuable?"

"I guess, doesn't everybody go through that though" he replied

"I became a slave to my relationship, I had loved him since I was ten years old, and I started forgetting who I was, and it scared me, enough that I went all the way to Switzerland to escape it" he nodded, though she could tell he wasn't completely convinced

"What about you, why did you come so far?"

"My parents were both in this program, I have been in it since I was a child, training at the 'invite only' school they offer to children starting at age nine, it was just the next step, nothing to extreme"

"I thought you said you almost didn't get in"

"Well the I didn't, after I graduated I was told I needed to go out and prove myself so I worked for the ministry of Spain for a few years, did some impressive work, not entirely spectacular though, it was really up in the air" she nodded as she took another sip of her drink

"You know I think you're my only friend in this entire school" all of a sudden she felt it again, that usual nausea that struck her generally in the mornings without so much as two words she jetted out of the booth and into the bathroom.

"Ginny?" she was hovering over the toilet dry heaving,

"I'll be out in a minute" she was scared now, she suddenly couldn't remember if she and harry had used a contraceptive on her graduation, her heart was racing, she woldnt let her self think about it. Not now.

"I'm back" she said smiling, taking a glass of water from the table and nearly inhaling it

"Are you okay?" he asked looking directly at her eyes

"Just a stomach bug" she knew he wasn't buying it,

"Really Ginny, you can tell me, do you think your, well you know?"

"I hope not, I mean I just, if I am what, would I be kicked out?"

"I doubt it, I mean you were a top recruit, and pregnancy doesn't effect magic too greatly" he was looking at her now, not shamefully, or with pity, but compassion

"I need to go to a medi-witch," she said now getting up,

"I'll go with you,"

"Dane you don't ha-"

"I know I don't have to Ginny, I want to"

They made the long trek back up the mountain. Ginny wasn't sure what to think of this newly adopted friend or her newly aquired problem. They spent the walk silent for the first few minutes until he asked,

"So its Harry's I assume?"

She nodded, "He's the only one, ever" he went on

"Will you tell him?" and suddenly it occurred to her, she didn't have to.

"I don't know I hadn't really thought about it" she said slowly

"I'm sorry I'm being pushy, who knows if you even are I mean it could be a stomach bug"

"Let's hope" she said gravely.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS R&R!!!

ITS GONNA BE GOOD I PROMISE!!!


	4. Friends

Harry spent the next several days working at the ministry, he had only told Ginny of his venture to the quidditch pitch. He wasn't really sure how the ministry would take the fact that he might be withdrawing from the Auror Program until a later time. He just knew that he wanted to do something that he truly enjoyed, especially now.

He would have fun if it killed him. He would hang out with Ron more, especially now that Hermione was so busy with wedding plans. He had finally decided to tackle the letter back to Ginny. He knew what she was doing, she was trying to be distant to make him feel less connected, he didn't want that for their friendship as he was sure she didn't.

_Gin-_

_I'm so glad to hear everything is working out for you, I knew it would. The try out went phenomenally I couldn't have asked for better conditions flying through the pitch. Ron is fine; we have been seeing each other more because Hermione is always off with your mother working out wedding details. We miss you Ginny, keep writing, it's always good to hear from you!_

_Harry_

It was kind. It was a letter that said nothing of the agony which had been his the past few days. It was simply a way of breaking the ice. He was fine without her. He was getting along just fine. He would continue to tell himself this until he actually found it to be true. Yet then again he knew, that he would be, because in the end he and Ginny were meant to be.

He would hold on to that faith alone, that is the faith that would get him through the rough nights, there is no man on this earth who could love her like he could, and soon she will come to know that.

* * *

"Well good evening Miss Weasley" Ginny nodded to the mediwitch,

"Dane, could you go, I'll talk to you later okay?" he didn't argue, he walked out

"What can I do for you?" Ginny wasn't sure how to say it exactly,

"For the past month I have been throwing up daily, and I've been much more tired than usual,"

"It's alright dear, we will check, don't worry your in good hands"

"Okay," her mind was racing. She didn't know what to do; all of a sudden she began to regret her selfish desire to separate from Harry.

"You are five weeks along miss, you will need to come see me monthly for a check up, don't worry about your classes, you should be fine, I will set up a meeting with the Dean, and you can explore your options" Ginny's face went white, she couldn't be kicked out, she couldn't

"They- they won't _kick_ me out will they?" The woman laughed

"Sweetheart you are not a child anymore, you are allowed to have children, it will be alright" it surprised her. The woman was right, she wasn't a child, she was a _grown_ woman who just happened to be pregnant. This couldn't be the first time this had happened.

Ginny left the hospital wing in a daze. She was going to have a baby, _Harry Potter's_ baby, she would be a **mother**. This time was supposed to be about finding herself and becoming independent, was their anything more independent than a single mother?

She arrived back to her dormitory at around midnight; she put on a pot of tea and went through her letters,

Hermione had written her saying she would come at the end of the month, she complained about the wedding plans and hoped Ginny would be able to come. She told Ginny to keep her head up about meeting new people, what would Hermione say if she knew.

_'Oh Ginny you really should have been more careful! Well talk to the dean I'm sure you this has happened before! You must tell Harry he will be a great help!'_

That would be Hermione's advice talk to a teacher, and most of all tell Harry.

The next letter came from Harry, the try outs had gone well. He was sure to make the team. He sounded so _happy_, for the first time since they had broken up he sounded _happy_. He was probably just putting on a show for her, but still at least he was trying to make peace with the situation.

She was going to wait to tell him at least until after her meeting with the dean, her letter back was warmer than the first she described more so the school and told him that she had been feeling a bit under the weather.

Her meeting with the Dean was scheduled for the next morning at 8:00, she was exhausted and when her head hit the pillow at 1:17 she fell straight to sleep. Her sleep was restless she had nightmares about the trouble she would be in with her mother; they would make her come home from school. She wouldn't be able to finish if they knew.

At 6:45 her alarm woke up she got out of bed and dressed for school, she brought out her potions lab manual tucked it under her arm and took a deep breath; she had to remain calm and collected.

She walked swiftly to the dean's office, her head held high. She ran through the conversation in her head, she would do everything she could to be able to stay.

"Ginny Weasley here to see Dean Gates," the secretary nodded

"Yes, he's been expecting you, please have a seat" the woman went to the door, "He will see you now"

"Yes, ma'am" Ginny stood up and walked into the office,

"Miss Weasley, it's so nice to see you, how are your classes going?" he asked smiling

"They are a bit of a challenge sir, but I am learning loads," she was now sitting in a chair in front of his desk

"Well the medi-witch in the hospital wing informed me of our little situation," Ginny nodded, "Would you like us to inform your professors so they can allow you to miss or leave class when you are feeling tired?"

Ginny shook her head "Sir, I don't want any special treatment, I would prefer people not knowing until it becomes obvious"

"Very good, now after the baby comes we can arrange for you to have a week off to recuperate, more if needed,"

"I'm sure it will be fine, I wouldn't want to fall behind"

"Right, now after the baby comes we may be able to shift your schedule to allow you to have more time in the evenings to spend with your child. We will assign a house elf to your quarters to watch the child when you aren't there, don't worry Ginny, you are not endanger of losing your scholarship, we will do all we can to accommodate your situation"

Ginny gave a half hearted smile, she could stay at school. It would be hard but she would be able to stay, no one would have to know, not for a while at least.

"Ginny!" she heard Dane yell from behind her,

"Hey Dane",

"So what did the dean say? You aren't leaving are you?" Ginny smiled,

"No, I can stay, after the baby comes they can higher a house elf to watch it while I'm in class" he nodded

"Good, I'm glad to hear that, what are you going to tell Harry?"

"I don't know yet, he's so happy right now, I don't know what to tell him, he's trying out for a professional quidditch team. If I tell him he'll throw all that away,"

"He would do it because he loves you, it's his kid too" Dane said softly

"I'm not going to run away from him, I will tell him, just not yet"

At this point they just sat down next to each other on a bench over looking the mountain.

"It used to be so much easier, when we first started dating the summer after Voldemort was defeated it was like walking on a cloud; every step was a new adventure,"

"What happened?"

"I went back to school, I tried to distract myself with head girl duties and Quidditch, but my mind always wandered back to him, he snuck into to see me, and when I was supposed to be studying I couldn't I just wanted to be near him, and then I realized I felt incomplete without him. I had never been so scared in my life"

"Really?"

"I don't want to need another person to make me happy; I want to be happy on my own terms,"

"I know what you mean,"

"Really?" she said one eye brow cocked in disbelief

"No, but I can understand where you are coming from" he used a side smile that she had come to be quite fond of

She nodded,

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be here for you whatever you need,"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Everybody needs somebody, you just got lucky with me" he smiled nudging her in the side,

"Thanks Dane you're really sweet"

They just sat there, Dane put his arm around Ginny and pulled her close, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. For the first time since she left Harry she felt _safe_, she could breathe slower, her heart was calmed.

Dane walked her back to her quarters,

"Thanks again, I really needed somebody tonight"

"Your welcome, I, I like you Ginny, I understand you aren't really available for anything right now, but it would be quite impossible for you to run me off at this point"

Ginny smiled, "Thank you" he gave her a hug, and kissed her head lightly,

"Goodnight," he walked away and Ginny walked back into her quarters feeling bad for him almost, he deserved better than to like her, but she was thankful for the friendship had offered to continue giving.

* * *

"And Harry Potter, Puddlemore United" Harry's heart leapt, he would be able to play with Oliver Wood, which meant having at least one friendly face among his teammates.

"Harry this is great!" Ron exclaimed as they walked into the Burrow to share the news with the rest of the Weasley's

"Oh Harry, that is wonderful news! You boys must stay for dinner! We will have Fred and George over, Bill and Fleur would love to come over too I would assume, oh it will be so nice to have the family together! Perhaps we could invite Remus and Tonks, they have been so busy lately-"

She went on until it seemed as though the entirety of London would be coming. Harry was excited though to see Neville, Luna, Dean, and Seamus. It would be fun to have the gang all back together, minus Ginny obviously, but his friends none the less.

For the remainder of the evening Harry and Ron had a guy's night, they vowed to play wizard chess until Harry beat Ron, but at around 11:30 it was getting a little old. They opted to shoot firewhiskey as they sat on the balcony of their flat looking over London.

"Are you nervous about the whole 'marriage' thing?" Harry asked, not really knowing why,

"Nah, it's Hermione, we always knew she would be in our lives annoying us in some way, she just gets to annoy me while we have children together," he said now laughing

"That's great Ron; it's about time you made an honest woman out of her"

"I wish, to be honest we haven't done anything 'dishonorable' in our whole courtship" Ron said slightly exasperated,

"Really?" Harry's voice squeaked slightly, they had never really brought up this subject primarily because Harry viewed Hermione as a sister, and well Ginny was Ron's sister, he had always just assumed,

"Really, I mean I have tried of course, but alas to no avail"

Harry became awkwardly silent

"Oh yeah, I know about you shagging my little sister, deflowering her"

Harry shifted uncomfortably,

"You're just lucky she didn't get pregnant or you would have every Weasley brother on you making you sorry old Voldy couldn't kill ya"

"Yeah well lucky me she decided to move over the river and through the woods, not to mention the Alps, to get away from me"

"Eh, I wouldn't dwell, Hermione said she is having trouble making friend's there, besides who wants to date Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend and risk you killing them in their sleep" Ron was beginning to talk with his hands now

"Touché"

"Yes well here is to being a virgin until I'm married and I can finally ravish my girlfriend"

"Ron it's nothing to be ashamed of, I assume it's actually nice to have it to look forward to. All Ginny and I were going to have to look forward to was not having to sneak past filch, or your bedroom. Sometimes I think if we had waited things would have turned out differently"

"Oh you mean you wouldn't be moping around like your heart is dragging along on a leash behind you as Ginny proceeds to dance her little Swiss feet on it" Harry laughed,

"No I mean, she wouldn't have felt so trapped, I wouldn't feel so rejected, and so jealous at the thought of any man _ever_ touching her but me"

"Why would you feel rejected? She said yes, mine on the other hand never even wants to be in the mood"

"She told me when we were in bed together right after we had, well, talk about a happy memory of our _last_ time together"

"Wow, harsh?"

"Yeah, then I proceeded to throw up in her bathroom, and she went on to tell the rest of the world how great she was without me" the buzz had now left the flat, and the weepy stage had begun

"Egh," they sat in silence for a while,

"You aren't going to tell anybody that are you?"

"No and I would appreciate you not telling Hermione how badly I want to shag her,"

"Truce"

OKAY GUYS TRUST ME ABOUT DANE, I KNOW HIM. YOU WILL LIKE HIM DARE I SAY LOVE HIM BY THE END OF THIS. JUST WAIT ON HARRY AND GINNY THEY ARE DOING WAITING HENCEFORTH THE WORLD MUST ALSO WAIT. ITS FINALS WEEK AND IM NOT SURE HOW MANY CHAPTERS I WILL GET IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS BUT THE MORE R&R THE BETTER!


	5. Visitors

Over the past three months the morning sickness had become less violent and her stomach was beginning to swell just a bit. It was barely noticeable, at least she kept telling herself that. Hermione was due for her second visit this weekend, the first had been cut short by a sudden assignment the first year's had been given.

This weekend though, Ginny had received a pass to be able to spend the weekend away from the Academy and in the village with Hermione. She would do her best to avoid any comments about her sudden pooch, she would associate it hopefully with stress.

Dane was still around, they did homework together in the afternoons, retired to their quarters and around 8:00 met up again and made their way to the pub where they both engaged in non-alcoholic beverages (Dane had given them up as well to make it easier for Ginny). Sometimes they talked, sometimes they didn't. It was the consistency of a friend that made their evenings seem to pass quicker. And every evening ended with a hug and a kiss on the head.

She was blessed to have him around, someone who still made her feel beautiful, who made her laugh, and always insisted she take the high road and do the "right" thing, whatever that may be.

She had yet to tell Harry, they still exchanged letters weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, he was busy with Quidditch, the season had just started and Puddlemore was on to even greater things than anyone had expected. Harry was only a reserve seeker this year, but if he kept up the flying he demonstrated in practice his coach told him he would be sure to make the team the next year.

"Ginny, you have to tell him soon" in the beginning they discussed it so much Ginny threatened him with a Bat-Bogey Hex, now however she knew he was right

"Dane if you only knew how happy he is right now, he is busy, in the middle of his rookie season, would it do him ANY good to know he has a child at this point? That all of a sudden I expect him to drop everything all his newfound goals and dreams for me? It's not fair Dane, I can't do that to him,"

"Gin, he would want to know regardless of how fair it is"

"After the season is over," she insisted

"What after you have the baby? He won't even have a say in the baby's name? He won't be with you in the hospital? Ginny really?"

"Okay well if the season is over it will be okay for him to deal with something like this. That way he has six months to deal with it before he has to focus back on his career"

"I don't know, it still doesn't seem right"

"WHAT ABOUT THIS IS RIGHT DANE? NOTHING, so just assume that NOTHING will be right with my solution okay?! My feet are going to swell to the size of miniature watermelons, my stomach is going to look like I'm storing four quaffles in it, if I haven't seen him in a year I do not want that to be the way he sees me for the first time"

"Are you at least going to tell that friend of yours who is coming in town this weekend?"

"Not yet, she is getting married next month and the last bit of stress she needs is worrying about me when I am absolutely fine,"

"You're fine? Really?" he had an unwittingly sharp ability to see pass the crap she tended to lay on so thick

"Well, as long as I have you around to keep me sane, I'm fine"

"I still don't see why you don't pal around with girls your own age here they aren't as bad as you think they are once you get to know them"

"The man whose baby I'm carrying was recently named Witch Weekly's Wizard of the Year, I do not want to be asked uncomfortable questions about my ex-boyfriend to his fan base"

"I can see that"

"Harry!" it was Hermione entering his and Ron's flat at the uncharacteristically early time of 7:00 am, he walked over to give her a hug

"Hey Hermione, you do realize Ron won't be awoken for at least another two hours?"

"Yes of course, well I didn't come by to see him, I wanted to see you," she and Harry had always been friends but very rarely were her visits strictly delegated to just him, "I am leaving in an hour to go see Ginny in Switzerland again,"

"Oh, well have fun, maybe you can help her with her Ancient Runes, she has been struggling with that lately,"

"Harry you and I have been friends for a long time, just as I am friends with Ginny, is their anything you want me to tell her?"

"Oh like, 'Harry says hi'?" Hermione looked at him, it wasn't a pleasant look either

"No, I mean do you want me to talk to her for you, I know its been months and you are 'over' her but I just thought that maybe I could try and convince her to-"

"Look Hermione, I am not going to force her into anything, Ginny and I are meant to be, soon enough she will realize it, all I want you to do Hermione is have a little faith"

Hermione left Harry's flat slightly perturbed. Harry was never like this, all floaty and mystical; he was beginning to sound like Trelawney dabbling in the "fates" and the powers that be. Harry had always been driven from a source outside of himself, always believing it was about something greater, maybe this was the same thing, just another way that Harry Potter's life was destined to be different from every other wizard in the world.

Hermione was due at the apparition point any moment, Ginny awaited her arrival nervously. Hopefully Hermione would be so stressed about her wedding she would fail to notice the very subtle difference in Ginny's abdomen.

Dane had offered to go with Ginny to meet Hermione, but last time Hermione visited she seemed entirely too interested in the boy who was so infatuated by the youngest Weasley.

"Hermione!" she had just arrived with a small bag in one hand an abnormally large book in the other

"Oh Ginny! I missed you!" the girls hugged and exchanged pleasantries, it had been entirely too long and Ginny missed her best friend, letters were all well in good but they were nothing like the actual thing

Walking to the Inn down the way Ginny listened as Hermione very animatedly told her about all the wonderful things that would be at her and Ron's wedding.

"It's going to be lovely, I do wish with all my heart that you could come,"

"I know I wish I could too,"

"So how's Dane?"

"Sweet as ever" Hermione shook her head

"But you're still in love with Harry?" Ginny shot her a sharp look

"I am trying to be without a boy for the first time since I was fifteen,"

"Oh how terrible it must be to be you"

"You have no idea" and on it went for the rest of the evening, Hermione trying to pry, and Ginny refuting with all whit she could.

"I stopped by Harry's this morning" Ginny almost spit out her soda,

"No kidding?"

"He wanted me to say hello,"

"That was considerate of him," it seemed strange, there was so much to say but no way to say it. So many feelings she was dying to express but yet she wanted nothing more than to contain them.

Regardless Hermione took the hint, the rest of the night seemed like one straight from Hogwarts, once Ginny asked Hermione about centerpieces and place settings for the wedding Hermione rambled for at least an hour.

They fell asleep at 3AM and didn't wake up until afternoon of the next morning to a knock on the door.

"What the bloody hell," Hermione groaned turning sideways in her bed,

"I'll get it," Ginny got up to walk to the door,

"Morning sunshine," It was Dane, with his bright and shiny grin, and a large paper bag, "I'm not here to ruin your girls weekend, I just figured you guys could probably use some lunch, so here you are," Ginny smiled,

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later tonight okay?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll see you on Monday," He gave Ginny a hug and left, it was these selfless acts that left Ginny so baffled most of the time.

"Whos that?"

"Dane bringing some lunch by," Ginny put the bag down on the bed and started opening it,

"Why?"

"Just because, he does stuff like that sometimes, little thoughtful things, I offered to see him later tonight and he just told me he would see me Monday,"

"And another falls under the spell of Ginerva Weasley"

"It's nice though, having someone who does stuff for you without asking for anything in return, he doesn't expect anything, he knows I'm still in love with Harry, he's just a friend, a really great friend"

"Doesn't change the fact that he's crazy about you,"

"Yah,"

"I am leaving tomorrow morning so what do you want to do tonight?"

"Well there is a pub down the way we could head out to,"

"Do you have any homework you need to do until then? Because I have some reading I could take care of,"

"We can meet up back here at about eight?"

"That sounds good, I'll see you later"

"Alright boys head back early tonight, relax tomorrow, and Monday morning I want to see everyone at the pitch bright and early," Harry wasn't tired, he wanted to see Ron but he would be working at the ministry until late tonight.

He considered his other options, sit in the flat for another evening alone, go to the pub down the street and drink alone, or he could surprise Ginny and Hermione in Switzerland. One visit couldn't hurt. He hadn't seen her in four months; they had been much more civil and if he didn't go now he wouldn't be able to make it again.

He took the afternoon train, it was long, but he figured even if Hermione didn't think he should see Ginny it would be fun to spend the evening partially with Hermione.

As he stepped off the train to the proper apparition point he had a jolt in his stomach, he would be seeing Ginny, for the first time since she left. He arrived at the apparition point at around 3:00 and proceeded to explore the small village. It was filled with locals, and what he assumed were students from Ginny's school.

He stopped by a side café for lunch when he saw a familiar face in the window, it was a girl in up to her nose in a book. He walked to her table and sat down without saying a word. He proceeded to stare at her,

"OH!" Hermione squealed startled, Harry started laughing, "What are you doing here?"

"Well we were let out of practice for the weekend, and Ron is busy at the ministry, I don't know I thought it might be a fun surprise"

"Well I'm meeting Ginny at the pub down the way at eight,"

"That's cool, do you think she would mind if I came?"

"No not at all," Hermione was now smiling broader than she had in her entire trip here. Finally the stalemate that was Ginny and Harry's relationship would come to an end.

Harry walked over to the inn to check in for a room until the next afternoon, he showered, then looked himself in the mirror and tried to remember the last time he saw Ginny there had been a sense of unfinished business. He hoped it wouldn't be too awkward, and he hoped that they would be able to cope as friends, as they had for so many years before they dated.

He pulled on an undershirt and some jeans, his hair was still wet and sticking up in every direction as usual. The weather was cooling down especially now that the sun had gone down. It was seven thirty but he decided it best to arrive at the pub before Ginny did and he was pretty sure that Hermione would be at least fifteen minutes early.

He sat by himself at a table in the corner of the pub and ordered a butterbeer, he was nervous, like he was awaiting a first date; he had butterflies in his stomach which were calmed when he saw Hermione walk in. She too ordered a butterbeer,

"You nervous?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Just relax Harry, it'll be fine"

"I hope,"

"Well you better start relaxing; Ginny is walking up the path now"

His heart rose in his chest, he took a swig of his drink, and took several deep breaths.

"Ginny!" Hermione yelled waving her hands, Ginny nodded, it seemed she hadn't seen Harry yet, Hermione stood up, as did Harry. Now it seemed Ginny saw him, she now locked eyes with him, staring, he smiled.

"Surprise Gin," he was all he could think to say

"I didn't expect to see you here"

"Yeah well I got off work until Monday,"

"Well come here give a girl a hug!" she reached in, and she felt it, for the first time since she'd been pregnant it moved.

"Whoa was that your stomach?"

"I guess I must be hungrier than I thought" Ginny said quickly as she took a seat

"Well then let's get you some food",

They ordered dinner and talked about old times at Hogwarts. Ginny caught Harry staring at her more than once, not sadly, but with a smile on his face, as though nothing had changed.

"Ginny look," Hermione said nodding her head towards Dane, who caught Ginny's eye and then looked at Harry, he smiled and made his way to their table.

"Hey Ginny, Hermione it's good to see you again," he said giving them both half hugs, "and you must be Harry, Ginny has told me so much about you," he smiled and shook Harry's hand.

"Well I'm going to go order a drink. Can I get you guys anything?" he asked

"No we're fine thanks" Ginny responded,

"Alright well I'll see you guys later then, it was good seeing you again Hermione, and Harry good to meet you"

"You can sit with us if you like Dane," Hermione piped,

"I'll only be able to stay for few minutes I really must get back to the school, but I'm just going to get a soda from the bar" he left to go to the bar,

"Dane is a friend from Ginny's school,"

"He seems nice," Harry responded somewhat slowly,

"He is, he has been very kind to me," Ginny replied looking down at her food, and then to Harry who looked at her now trying to read her expressions.

Harry pulled a chair up to the table soon after Dane had begun to make his way back to the table.

"So what brings you here Harry, last Ginny told me you were Puddlemore's latest and greatest addition,"

"Well they gave us the weekend off and I thought I would catch up with old friends,"

"Well I hope you are enjoying it here, it is a small place but not without its charms,"

"Hermione and I had lunch today in a café nearby, it was quite good"

The conversation was a little stilted, but Ginny couldn't help but notice how neither of the men seemed to share any animosity with each other. At around 9:30 Dane got up to go, and Ginny followed him out.

"You didn't have to do that,"

"Ginny you seem to have it in your head that everything I do is merely for your best interest, when in fact I just got to talk to someone who is more famous than the Weird Sisters, and I get to go write my parents and tell them I just spoke to none other than Harry Potter. It pretty much made my year and I have you to thank for knowing him,"

Ginny laughed, "Well I'm glad I was of some help"

"You always are" he smiled and walked back up to the school

"He seems nice," Harry said first,

"He is," and that was all that passed between them on the subject.

Hermione retired early to her room, Harry and Ginny only stayed a few minutes longer.

"It was really good to see you again, I'm glad to see you are doing so well here"

"Thank you, I've missed you Harry"

"And I you Ginny," the hugged and for a while it seemed as though they would not part, but as they always do endless hugs will end,

"I am catching the afternoon train, but would you like to have a spot of coffee with me in the morning"

"I would like that very much,"

R&R!!! The next chapter will delve into what happens when Ginny gets back to her quarters, and breakfast with Harry.


	6. One Day

Ginny made her way back up to her quarters and now more than she had in a long time she felt the need to be with Harry. The hug that made her forget the situation they were in, the hug that made her baby kick for the first time. She walked slowly she had agreed to meet him for coffee but at what price. At the price of having to wait another four months before she could get him out of her head again?

Yet as she approached her quarters she couldn't help but notice Dane sitting outsider her door. He had fallen asleep, waiting by her door; she tapped him lightly on the head,

"Did you need something?" Dane got up quickly

"Ginny you have to tell him, he is here it won't be in a letter, you have to"

"Dane I can't I told you it would mess with his head, I already did enough of that four months ago," she was getting agitated, she turned her back to him

"He's a good guy Ginny, a decent guy he deserves the truth from you, you owe it to him" Dane said now following after her

"I'm sick of people saying I owe Harry something! I don't owe him anything he messed with my head for years and years, pay back is a bitch!" Dane looked at her at first a little shocked but then his expression softened.

"Ginny that's not why you are doing this, you are scared, you know it and I know it, you are looking for reasons not to tell him because you yourself don't even know why anymore. You owe it to the man you love to tell him you are carrying his baby,"

"It moved, today when Harry hugged me, it kicked. For the first time since I've been pregnant I realized I have a _person_ growing inside of me. And I couldn't celebrate because I realized I might have to do it on my own, and I don't want to Dane I don't want to I'm so scared," Dane came in and hugged her for along time he just held her there. He brushed her hair away from her face,

"You have to tell him Ginny, even if it all goes to hell he deserves to know"

"I can't I can't" she was shaking tears were streaming as she kept sobbing it hadn't happened in a long time; with every fiber of her being she was truly scared.

"Ginny, I will be here for you, no matter what I am going to do whatever I can to help you, but you have to tell him, if it goes terribly, that's terrible for him, you would deserve better" he was now rocking her

"I can't lose him, I can't I'm not ready _please_," she was still sobbing into his robes, which were getting more and more wet with her tears

"Gin, its okay breathe, really he loves you," Ginny's body just surrendered everything stopped, the shaking, the tears, she was just breathing, looking down at the ground,

"Okay, tomorrow, I'll tell him,"

"Really?" Dane asked somewhat shocked at her newest revelation,

"Yeah, I'm going to do it," her eyes were closed and it almost pained her to say it,

"Come here," he just hugged her, "sleep well Gin, everything will be okay, and if its not I will make it so"

"Thanks," she didn't think he knew what an important fixture he had been in her life, with Dane everything seemed alright, there was no guess work with him

He walked away with a heavy heart. It was as though nothing in his world seemed to make sense. He was in love with a girl who was in love with some one else, she was carrying his baby, but he couldn't help it. It was something in the way she seemed to speak her mind so well, she wasn't afraid of her feelings and everything about her just made sense.

Yet he knew that it could never be, that was the tragedy, it was unrequited. He may have been in love yet he knew it was only on his side, yet he couldn't keep away, she needed him. It was everything he could do to stop her tears, it killed him to know some one could do this to her, yet in many ways she did it to herself.

He put a smile on. It was no ones fault but his own. And as long as he could make her happy, and put her in a better situation, it would be enough.

* * *

The next morning Harry awoke with a skip in his step. For the first time in a long while he felt like everything was as it should be. Last night more than ever had confirmed that he was right, he and Ginny would find there way back together, whatever they had was still intact.

He got a seat at the front of the Café he ordered to coffees and sat down with the Daily Prophet.

Ginny stood in front of her full length Mirror and tried to say it over and over, 'Harry I'm pregnant', 'Harry we are going to have a baby', 'Harry I'm four months pregnant', it never sounded right, but she was sure it never would.

She walked slowly to the café, when she saw Harry his eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but smile to know she still had that effect on him.

"Ginny," he said stepping in to giver her a hug, put his head near hers to smell her hair,

"Did you sleep well?" she asked hoping to ease into a pleasant morning conversation before she dropped the bomb

"Very, and I woke up happy knowing I was going to see you,"

"Oh really?"

"Mhm, you still have that effect on me," she blushed and turned her head,

"We were pretty good together huh?"

"I'd like to think we were amazing together," he said now leaning in closer to her face

"You've always been so good to me," she would tell him she had to

"You make hard sometimes, but very worth while," and it was time.

"Harry I'm sorry, for all of that, but I need to tell you-"

"Gin, don't. It was really hard in the beginning; I didn't know what you meant. I changed careers, and-" he paused "I'm having the time of my life, and I know its all going to be okay because you were right, we will find our way back to each other. One day Gin, it will be perfect,"

Her eyes had welled up slightly; she put on a smile, and nodded. It was all she could do, she couldn't tell him now, it would have to wait. He was happy and he was right, "one day" it would be perfect,_ not today_, but one day.

"Thank you, and just so you know, I still love you, very, much"

He took in a breath, "I never stopped," and there they sat in the middle of this café. Two people in impossible situations, it was sad, it was tragic yet it was there own, and in a way it would make their love stand out more than any other.

"Can I walk you back to your quarters?" he asked,

"Do you have to go soon?"

"Not for a while I just thought it would be more comfortable"

"Okay,"

As they walked she could feel his eyes on her, he opened doors for her without even thinking about it, and as they entered her quarters she felt his hands on her shoulders.

"I should start a fire,"

She walked to the fireplace, lit the fire and sat on the nearby couch, Harry joined her. He put his arm around her and they just sat there, he kissed her head. It was all she could do to not want more.

He stroked her arm, she looked tired, stressed, he did his best to relax her, such a good job that soon she was drifting off to sleep. After about an hour he had to leave.

"Gin,"

"Mm" she mumbled still asleep

"I need to go now,"

"No no" she started saying

"I love you," he kissed her head,

"I love you" she said, he kissed her again trying for her cheek but then she turned, they kissed, it was brief, no more than a few seconds but it was enough.

He walked out quietly and shut the door behind him as he watched Ginny fall back asleep. His heart took a leap, it would all be okay.

Ginny couldn't remember the last time she slept this well had been the week before she got her acceptance letter to the academy, she had gone to Harry's for the weekend and the comfort of having him near had ended all of her anxieties. Yet when she awoke it was no longer to the dream of what used to be, or could have been, but the reality she had to face daily.

At this point she would not see Harry or Hermione again for a long time, she would not see her family until the baby had been born, from here on out she did not have to hide from anyone. At last she had decided to make her mistake into something good. She would no longer see this child as a _problem_, but as a new _adventure_.

At around noon she heard a knock at the door. It was Dane, surely coming to see how it all went.

"I couldn't do it," Dane's face fell,

"What? Why?" he was perplexed now, she had said quite calmly the night before that she would do it yet now it was a complete 180.

"He said he was happy where he was, that he finally saw why we had to part, and I quote 'one day it will be perfect'. And I knew he was right, one day, not today it will be our chance again," she was now sure, if she had doubted anything in her life this was not that kind of situation.

"So you aren't going to tell him?"

"Not until after the baby comes,"

"Okay, well I'm here if you need me for anything Gin, anything at all"

"I'll take you up on that I'm sure,"

"Can I take you to lunch?"

"Um, actually I need to go to the mediwitch for my monthly appointment, I should find out the sex of my baby today, and then after that I think I'm just going to sleep,"

"Alright then, I'll see you around"

"Bye,"

She made her way to the hospital wing, ever since she felt the baby move she had been itching to know what to call "it". She hated referring to her baby as though it was some inanimate object.

* * *

The ride home from seeing Ginny Harry felt happy, happier than he had been in a while, it seemed as though everything was falling into place beautifully. Ginny hadn't moved on, she still loved him, and more than ever now he was in love with her, if they could stand being apart for this long he was sure a lifetime would be no issue.

When he arrived at his flat he heard yelling, Ron and Hermione were at it again,

"I just don't see why you don't want to help your mother and I. Its your wedding too!"

"Hermione I told you I don't care!"

"We are getting married and you don't care about the wedding? Great Ron speaks wonders for your views on the sanctity of marriage!"

"Hermione you are into all that girly stuff, I really just don't care I could marry you in knockturn alley as long as it meant being with you!"

"Ron, I just want you to be a part of this, please,"

"I'll try but you will kick me out of the wedding I'm sure"

Harry opened the door as he heard the waters seem to calm.

"Harry! How was breakfast with Ginny?" Hermione asked immediately

"Really good actually, she still loves me, I still love her, which after all we have been through together is pretty miraculous and for the first time I feel really, really okay with where we are right now,"

"Really?" Ron blurted

"Yeah," Harry responded not really paying attention but looking at the letters on the kitchen table, "Are these mine?" he asked holding them up

"Yeah they came yesterday,"

They were letters from Puddlemore, first a letter from the owner, and then a letter from Wood.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Congratulations, due to a trade we have made entailing Michael Faye, you have been named the new starting Seeker for Puddlemore. Your practice schedule will remain the same however I suggest training even harder for your starting debut this weekend._

_Best wishes_

_Tom Hannigan_

He had done it, he was a Professional Quidditch Seeker.

_Harry!_

_I just heard the news! Congratulations! We will be unstoppable now! See you at practice Monday morning! We will go out and celebrate after so bring a change of clothes!_

_Wood_

"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked

"I'm the starting seeker for Puddlemore United,"

"What I thought Michael Faye-"

"Traded. My first game is this weekend,"

"Whoa," Ron said now more astonished than ever

"Would you both come, please?! I'll see what kind of tickets I can get but I'm sure it would be fun,"

"Of course Harry!" Hermione said now that Ron's mouth was gaping open like a codfish of sorts

It had been a good weekend for Harry, everything seemed to be turning out perfectly.

A/N: Next chapter should be exciting! Again everything in this story happens for a reason! Thank you so much for your reviews you have no idea what an encouragement it is to see you guys continue to love this story even if you do dislike Dane... even though he is a really good guy. :-) Well good luck on Finals if you have them! i just finished my history exam this morning!! CROSS YOUR FINGERS THAT I GOT AN A:-D


	7. A dream is a wish your heart makes?

"Ginny,"

"Good evening Madame Trickle"

"How are you feeling?" Ginny smiled,

"Fat,"

"Well you are in your fourth month now, lots of changes hormonally; we can now probably know the sex,"

"It kicked, earlier this week," Madame Trickle's face lit up,

"Oh dear, that's just wonderful!" Ginny smiled as Madame Trickle continued to gather things together

"It was pretty great" Ginny nodded thankful to have a female to share these moments with

"Well lets just see what we have here," she had Ginny lie down on the bed and after performing an incantation rubbed her hands over her belly in an almost sonogram like manner,

"Well?" Ginny asked getting somewhat apprehensive

"It's a girl Miss Weasley," she was beaming as the words left her mouth, Ginny froze her eyes beginning to well up with tears,

"Really?" Madame Trickle brought Ginny in for a hug,

"Yes, should we contact the father?" Ginny's face went white,

"No, he um, I'm doing this on my own for now, he's a very busy man," her heart was racing, Harry wouldn't know he had a daughter until after she was born,

"You are going to be just fine Miss Weasley. I wouldn't worry too much, but just be careful this month, you are likely to experience mood swings and a significant increase in sexual drive" Ginny copped out a laugh.

"Are you kidding?"

"No, with all the hormonal changes it's perfectly natural," she said now gathering together some potions and vitamins she wanted Ginny to take,

"Wow, um, okay?"

"Here," Madame Trickle said now giving Ginny the bottles, "Take each twice a day, and I will see you next month"

Ginny left the hospital wing in a daze, she would have a little girl, a daughter, she walked back to her flat and put on a pot of tea. As soon as she turned on the water she wrote a quick letter to have Pig deliver to Dane,

_"Come by for some tea if you can- GW"_

She shot flames in the fire and changed into her night time clothes, a large sweater and a pair of very comfortable flannel pants she stole from Harry when they were still going out.

She got out her books and very diligently began to do her school work; she had very little this weekend but was behind considering how little she had been able to get done with her friends visiting.

After she finished her essay on Ancient Runes she pulled "Witches and the Womb" out of her book bag. Just as she was beginning to get comfortable she heard a knock,

"Gin?" it was Dane, she had almost (but not entirely) forgot that she invited him over

She got up quickly to get the open the door for him,

"Hey you" she said, it was such a relief to see him here, he reached in for a hug and set his books down on her kitchen table,

"So… what is it??" he asked getting excited

"I'm having a baby girl," his eyes lit up,

"Ginny that's great!" he ran up to her and picked her up off the ground for a hug, "You must be so excited!"

She smiled broadly, "I am very excited, and very excited to be able to share this moment with you!"

Dane smiled now putting her down on the ground, "So what are you reading?"

"Just a book I ordered from London a few weeks ago, it's a book on pregnancy,"

"Oh boy what's in store for us this month?"

"I'll get fatter; mood swings will increase, and apparently have an increase in my sexual appetite"

"Yeah- wait what?" Ginny laughed

"Apparently my sex drive increases this trimester which is just as well because my sex appeal decreases significantly,"

"If it makes you feel any better, you are still by far the most beautiful woman at this institution," he said sitting down on the couch

"Say that to me when I'm nine months pregnant, twenty pounds heavier, and my feet are swollen three times bigger, and I'll know you're lying," she sat in the chair across from him

"You're going to be a mom; in less than six months a little baby will be here, it's all so surreal"

"You don't know the half of it,"

For a few moments Dane just sat there, Ginny looked at the fire, he watched her in the calm way she her hand on her stomach, as though she was rubbing her baby's back. She was beautiful and for the first time since he had ever met her she seemed to be at peace.

"Well, I have an early class tomorrow, but I would love to come by and pick you up for lunch,"

"I wish I could, but I am going to be studying, I have exams coming up and with all the stress of the baby I haven't been paying attention in class at all"

"Okay well then I guess I'll just see you at eight then,"

"Night Dane, thank you for coming by, you are the best friend I have had in a long time,"

"You have Hermione,"

"She had Ron and we didn't see each other much,"

"Harry?"

"Was my everything and now he's just in the waiting room, _you're_ here,"

"Yah but I won't be getting lucky," he laughed

"Shut it you!" She went into hug him goodbye; he always had a way of making light of situations that seemed to get too complicated. Some of her wished she had met him in a place where Harry didn't exist, because she was sure that Dane would never hurt her. He would never turn from her and if he chose would spend the rest of his life sacrificing everything for her.

Dane left and Ginny sat back on the couch to read her book again and slowly but surely she began to fall asleep.

* * *

Harry went through his first practice as a professional seeker, it felt just like his days at Hogwarts, a sense of urgency overwhelming him. The wind blowing through his hair and the utter freedom he felt brought him away from any worry or his anxious feelings about Ginny.

"Harry come on; hit the showers we are going out tonight!" Oliver yelled as Harry continued zipping about the sky,

"Alright I'm coming!" he went down and met Oliver outside the locker room.

"The guys got a private room down at the Pub, we are going to get you entirely too intoxicated to function," Oliver said slapping Harry in the back

"I don't know about that," Harry said now smiling,

"Oh come on Harry you can only be dark and brooding for so long"

Harry just shook his head as they made there way down the road and into the pub. It was Harry's first real bonding experience with the team. He knew a few of the guys only vaguely from practice.

"Harry it's about time you got your skinny ass a drink! Now come over here Potter we are just exchanging tales of the dames!" Hugh said motioning Harry towards him,

Harry followed Oliver reluctantly towards the guys,

"Now Robert was just about tell us of his latest sex-capades with the lovely Chelsea,"

"Hugh I told you its only when I come into town and really I do not kiss and tell… and if I were too you are going to have to buy me a hell of a lot more alcohol"

"Boo you're a bore Bobby, now Harry you are the chosen one and all, how many ladies have you 'Chosen'" he said his eye brows raised in Harry's direction

"None of your business Hugh," Harry said taking a swig of his beer,

"Oh come on Harry! You and the Weasley girl, Ginny, you guys had a thing going on there for a few years didn't you?" Oliver offered,

"Yes Ginny and I had a 'thing' for almost two years but its been over for months now,"

Hugh jabbered with the other boys for a while (and since they all were now slightly more intoxicated), they were saying things that had any of their mothers heard would have sent them straight to church, or locked them in their rooms for years.

"So you and this girl of yours…" Hugh replied trying with very little tact to get some good stories about THE Harry Potter

"Honestly Hugh, I prefer not talking about it,"

"Agh," Hugh said smiling, "The good shag is gone and now we are left lonely. Now I'm sure we can find you a lady!"

"No."

"What is this?" Hugh asked now circling Harry, the other boys starting to laugh, "Dame broke your heart?" Harry was starting to get very frustrated, before it was fine just a few little games but now it was personal

"Hugh, if you don't back off me right now I _will_ send your arse right through that wall," Hugh's eyes widened a bit, the other boys got quiet, "Sorry, but I need to leave,"

"Alright later Harry! See you tomorrow," Oliver said as Harry slammed the door,

"Oh man, that lady did a number on his head," Robert said looking at Oliver,

"Know anything about it Oliver?" Hugh said looking to get some kind of dirt,

"Just a long tortured story better left untold," and that was that, they went back to talk about all the things boys talk about in a drunken stupor.

Harry stumbled his way into his flat, trying hard not to knock anything over he pulled out his photo album Ginny had given him their last Christmas together.

They were pictures of happier times, in most of the pictures their hands were interlocked, bodies intertwined in some way, they would be laughing and then as if the whole world stopped they would pause and look at each other. _Freezing time where they saw fit._

* * *

_"Ginny I love you," Dane was saying, "I promise I will never let you hurt again," he was holding her, "There are moments when I look at you and I can hardly breathe, it is impossible for me to hide these feelings as much as I try"_

_She didn't let him finish, she kissed him, there were no fireworks, but there was a calmness that soothed her body, put her at ease._

_"You and me Gin, always" he kissed her head and she fell asleep on his chest, then her clock started dancing towards her screaming and screaming,_

"Oh my-"Ginny woke with a start, breathing quickly she walked over and started her shower.

She had been dreaming about Dane again, most nights it was Harry but when she was feeling particularly calm she thought of Dane, a few nights ago she dreamed they lived in Muggle Surrey, with a small garden, everything normal. Her daughter played in the yard like any other kid.

When she dreamt of Harry it was in a different sense, it was him fighting for her. They were intertwined in front of a fire making love. Their small family was huddled together; her daughter knew who her father was. It was in these dreams that made Ginny feel anxious. She missed Harry, she missed the passion they had, their romance may have been tumultuous but never once did it run short on love, it was as though sometimes they were just too tired to keep going, yet they always did. Hermione often asked Ginny why she tortured herself with him, Ginny wouldn't hesitate, "I'm in love, if it were easy, it wouldn't be any fun".

Sorry this one took so long; I bet I had some of you going there for a while with Ginny's dream! Hope you all have a merry merry Christmas!!! God bless! I promise promise promise you guys are going to like how it all ends up... its the road that makes it so dang fun:-D


	8. Not the boy who lived just the boy who

The following weeks passed without much change, Ginny's stomach was still growing but now at an alarming rate, and her dinners with Dane at the pub were still at eight.

She felt differently though, with each day that passed without Harry she quit longing for the past, and more and more looked to her future. She was questioning the path she had chosen, though she felt it pointless to do so.

Miss Trickle said the baby was developing beautifully but that she should begin to take preparations for the arrival (which was still almost four months from now). Ginny knew what she meant though; she needed to start getting ahead on her studies which meant studying more than she did now. The library became her new bedroom, she would drink tea with Dane at eight and he would walk her to the library where they would study until almost midnight.

The holidays were coming up, Christmas would be hard. Her belly was becoming more obvious and though her classmates would assume what they wanted she didn't want her family knowing anything just yet. She planned on staying at the castle, studying, catching up on work, about anything to keep her occupied.

Dane would be going home to visit his family, his sister was very excited, apparently she hadn't seen him in ages.

Ginny and Dane were sitting at the pub playing a game of 'rock, paper, scissor' to decide who would tell a brutally honest truth of themselves next.

"Alright I win, go," Ginny said smirking in Dane's direction

"I have never had a serious girlfriend"

"Really?" Ginny asked her voice squeaking

"I had a few girlfriends, but none of them ever stuck,"

"Hm interesting, now again" Ginny shot out rock while Dane covered with paper,

"Alright now you go,"

"I used to leave school late at night, sneak into Hogsmeade to meet Harry who would then apparate us into his apartment where I would stay the night, and sneak back into school before anyone knew I was gone," Dane looked at her impressed, "Harry has a very nifty map of Hogwarts," and on the game went, Dane with scissor and Ginny with rock.

"I've never done… it" Ginny looked at him now very surprised,

"What?" he nodded,

"In school girls would give me sideways offers but again, no serious girlfriend, no serious play time,"

"Wow, all this time I thought you, gagh you must think I'm a whore,"

"No, no, no, you were in love, besides I don't think anyone can deny you and Harry are '_soul mates'_, your bound to end up together"

"Sometimes I think things would have been better if we had waited, neither of us was really ready to deal with our emotions,"

"I just need to find a good girl with _no_ soul mate to speak of,"

"You will Dane, you are an incredibly good guy, any girl would be dumb not to want you,"

"I wouldn't call you dumb," he laughed,

"Nobody ever said I _never_ had feelings like that towards you," she smirked,

"Yes but we are both aware that your feelings for Harry clearly outweigh anything you could feel for anyone else" his tone was serious and the both sat quietly for a few minutes,

"I think about you sometimes, I've even dreamed about it, a life more commonly followed, security, no sense of urgency, sitting on the porch watching my little girl play, don't think I haven't thought of it, its just…"

"My timing couldn't be worse," he paused smiling faintly then looked at her, "in a different place if there was no Harry do you, I mean would you and I,"

"I'd like to think so," and there it was again, that look Dane got in his eye, it was hopeful and for a moment it seemed that they might take it further, yet as quickly as the moment came it passed,

"It's getting late," Ginny nodded as Dane followed her up to her room, as he turned to leave,

"Dane, I'm sorry," he shook his head

"You're in love with 'the boy who lived', and me? I'm just a boy, who happens to be _in love with you_,"

"What?" Ginny asked, Dane's face almost went white, he'd let it slip,

"I need to go,"

"Dane,"

Without another word he left, walking as quickly as he could in the other direction convinced that next time he saw her he would act as though nothing was different, nothing had changed.

* * *

Harry had played three games as the Puddlemore Seeker, catching the snitch all three times and losing the game only once because they were losing so miserably Wood told him to just end it.

He was beginning to know what it felt like to be a star in your own right, not have people to dictate it for you.

While he found girls throwing themselves at him, he learned long ago to shy away from that kind of unwanted attention. He had gone to Diagon Alley with Ron this afternoon to begin their Christmas shopping. The wedding was less than a week away and Ron knew when he returned shopping would be the last thing on his mind, so Harry suggested that the two of them go shopping early.

Harry had been looking for something to buy for Ron and Hermione, the Weasley's still refused Harry's gifts, right now he was just going to help Ron. Ever since he got Hermione that strange smelling perfume, Harry had made a point to help Ron.

He wasn't worried about Ginny's present. He already had it worked out; it wasn't something to remind her of his "love" for her because he was sure she already knew it. It was something to make her smile.

"I figure I'll get my mum a scarf and Hermione is going to get me some batteries to get for my dad," he said looking at the jewelry in the window, "Which only leaves Hermione's present; we are getting married, should I really be required to get her anything?"

"If you don't it will be one hell of a way to spend your first Christmas as a married couple" Harry said now walking into the store, "How much do you have left to spend?"

"Fifteen Galleons," Harry nodded, and then he saw them, a pair of small pearl earrings, delicate and sophisticated, very Hermione-like

"Look at those," Harry said pointing, Ron's eyes widened,

"They're perfect,"

"I'll go ask the shopkeeper how much they are,"

Ron nodded as he began to thumb through the necklaces. Ron would get them for Hermione no matter what the price, Harry would see to it.

"Sir," Harry motioned to the shopkeeper, "How much for those pearl earrings in the case?"

"Twenty Galleons," Harry nodded,

"What if I give you seven," the shopkeeper lifted an eye, "And you sell it to the guy out there for thirteen galleons" the shopkeeper was still eyeing him, "He's my friend but he only has fifteen galleons to spend, it's the perfect gift, I'm just trying to help," he nodded and put his hand out, Harry dropped the seven galleons into his hand.

He walked out to the front of the store to Ron, "Thirteen Galleons sir," Ron smiled and happily handed over the money,

Harry smiled, Hermione would be very pleased at Ron's gift, and he figured a little surprised.

He had never bought Ginny jewelry, after he turned seventeen he was allowed into his family vaults which contained enough jewelry to shower Ginny for lifetimes, he had been very selective.

A single diamond necklace for their first anniversary, a string of pearls the following Christmas, and the last piece he never got around to giving. It was the ring in the wedding photos of his parents, the ring his father had given to his mother. A princess cut diamond surrounded by tiny rubies, on a gold ring. It had been perfect, a little extravagant for Ginny maybe but beautiful nonetheless.

The walk home was quiet, until Ron somewhat unwillingly chimed in.

"So Ginny is going to be staying at school for the Holidays…" he offered trying to sound nonchalant

"Yeah, I figured she said she would probably be busy,"

"Mum still wants you there,"

"Like I would ever miss a Weasley Christmas,"

"So I assume your coach is pleased with your performances?"

"They want to sign me to a two year contract, twelve hundred Galleons a year,"

"I must be in the bloody wrong profession" Ron squeaked,

"I might have been able to get more if I had an agent, but I don't know, I have plenty of money, this was just supposed to be a fun thing to help me get over Ginny,"

"And that worked out just SO well," Ron laughed,

"Well, it helped somewhat, I quit moping"

"Very true, but don't kid yourself into thinking your not even a little upset you wont be seeing her for months,"

"I'll write her, is fine, Ginny and I are on hold, she still loves me, I still love her its going to be okay"

"Alright Harry, whatever you say"

They walked back to their flat, and Harry went back to looking in the prophet for a new flat.

"Harry I told you, Hermione is moving in with us, not replacing you,"

"Ron when you come back from your honey moon this will be your 'nest', not a bachelor pad, I don't want to get in the way of your new life,"

"Harry you've been getting in the way of our lives since we were eleven, we don't want that to change just because we are stuck with each other for life"

"You lot have the right to live alone, besides according to Gringotts I have three different lots to choose from"

"Why would you want to leave the city?" Harry shrugged,

"Bit of a change couldn't hurt, besides I'm not working at the Ministry anymore, I could use some fresh air on my weekends off,"

"Right like all of a sudden you are going to go all out-doorsy on us"

They laughed as Ron began to wrap his presents, though he was successful they were no doubt horrendous looking.

* * *

He was in love with her? She knew he had some sort of a crush but love? Every time she thought about it her heart hurt. She said it herself; he's a nice guy who deserves a girl who can give him everything he ever wanted.

There was a part of her that would love to give into all the wonderful things he told her. A part of her that wanted the life he might be able to provide, but the prospect of Harry, made it all seem superfluous.

Ginny drank some warm milk and fell asleep. It was a restless sleep, several times being awoken by her baby and other times to be woken from dreams of flying picket fences and Harry's face coming at her from all sides.

When she would calm her thoughts to her baby none of it seemed to matter. Her mind would immediately be put at ease only to be awoken again by her sub-conscious thoughts about Dane and Harry.

Her baby would be happy, healthy, and above all safe. Those were the only things she wanted for her daughter. Isn't that what every parent wants for their child?

Okay so I was very proud of this chapter, more so the first part than anything else. Dane is a really good guy, the good guy who deserves everything a girl knows she cant give him...sad times lol :-D hope you all have holidays! R&R, eaglesnest you make me laugh with all your reviews i love your input! and to the rest of you regular reviewers I NOTICE AND I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH!


	9. New faces

Weeks passed and it was as though nothing had happened. The next time Ginny saw Dane he had made it clear he didn't want to talk about what happened the night before. So they pretended it didn't happen. Not that either one of them forgot.

Ginny was aware of a crush Dane might have but had no idea his feelings ran as deep as they did. What kind of friend would she be if she abandoned him? As the baby developed more and more they were able to find ways to distract themselves from the conversation that eventually had to happen.

Letters to Harry had become more verbose since that night. He wrote, sent pictures, and clippings from the prophet. She read each with a smile and replied within the hour generally. It might have been guilt that had kicked in. Maybe she was feeling deceitful.

People may peg her as selfish but she didn't care, Harry didn't need to worry about this, he had enough. He had a week before he wanted to be out of his flat and into the Potter Estate in the British countryside. Not to mention the stress of being a professional seeker for a team that was currently ranked number two with eight games left of the season. It was a stressful time and hearing from her that she was bearing his child wouldn't help anyone.

She was currently making her way to the pub to meet Dane. She was starting to show and had told Dane if anyone asked who the father was to pretend as though he didn't know. The last thing she needed was some one like Rita Skeeter getting a hold of this.

She walked in to see Dane sitting in the booth; he looked up and smiled, got up and gave her a hug.

"Sorry I'm late, finishing up a letter to Harry," Dane nodded, she had either been writing more frequently or made it a point of telling him whenever she did,

"Right," the rest of the conversation was stilted and slightly awkward, and at the peek of all the uncomfortableness Dane said,

"Do you see that?!" she looked around,

"See what?"

"There is a giant elephant in the room that we are refusing to acknowledge"

"Yeah," she said softly

"Yeah," he replied becoming less bold, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, I didn't mean to it just slipped out, don't even think on it,"

"Don't be sorry, I mean it's always nice to have someone say they love you. I'm in love with Harry, Dane. I am pregnant with his child, the only thing I have to offer you is friendship"

"That's fine," he said smiling half heartedly, "Really"

"Okay," they returned to their meal which they ate in an almost silence,

Dane walked Ginny back to her flat, they hugged briefly and he left. She then put on some warm milk, and finished up with her occulemency homework. They were told to write down their dreams, they were supposed to be closing their minds (as Harry had in his fifth year), lately though she struggled greatly.

She was sure Professor Adams would be talking to her about it soon. She was beginning to show more obviously and a few of her professors let her know they could be lenient. She primarily refused that sort of help; she didn't want anyone to say she made it through because the professors felt sorry for her.

Before falling asleep she tried to clear her mind, thinking of the night sky, focusing, the stars, the way the moon seemed to light up everything it touched. She felt something graze her arm, and then fingers intertwined so comfortably into hers. She looked over to her right, his hair was speckled with gray sticking up on all sides of his head, his round glasses were thicker, but his smile remained the same. The smile she had woken to so many times, the smile she was sure to be the only one she ever wanted.

It was Harry. He was the only one she wanted. From here on out she would no longer entertain the thought of an easy life. She didn't want that. Her child didn't deserve to see her mother married to a man she merely cared about, she deserved to see her mother with a man she truly loved with every fiber of her being.

* * *

"Thanks Dobby they're great" Harry said taking the socks from Dobby and attempting to give him a galleon

"Harry Potter doesn't need to give Dobby payment! Dobby loves Harry Potter and his Ginny!" Dobby replied

"Thank you Dobby," Harry responded knowing Dobby wouldn't budge

Harry left Hogwarts holding in his hand the best gift he could think to give Ginny. They were a pair of thick socks, stitched by Dobby which meant they were lopsided and on each sock he had written "H 3 G". It was childish, not entirely romantic, but it didn't matter.

He put the socks in his pocket and apparated to the Puddlemore practice fields where his team was currently having a meeting to discuss the final push of the season. Apparently there would be a new set of laws to abide by as a teammate.

"Men, we have two months left of the season I have decided to put in a few more notes,"

There were collective groans from the players

"We will be meeting at the pitch five hours before every game, the first two hours we will study the other team, the next hour focus on our strategy, the next two hours you have to prepare yourselves for the game" again groans slipped from nearly every players tongues

"Boys, if you want to be number one it takes a SIGNIFIGANT amount of work, much more than what you were apparently visualizing" they nodded reluctantly.

Harry walked back to the locker room. He had a lot to do before Ron and Hermione got back from their Honeymoon. The wedding had been beautiful, yet while Harry was there he couldn't help but feel more alone then ever. He wondered what Ginny was doing, and why it hadn't been them, there were so many things he would have done differently.

He thought about it a lot now, what he could have done that would have kept them together. He hadn't appreciated enough the lengths she had gone to be with him. He hadn't given nearly as much as she had, she had been right. He had sent her through the ringer without any regard to her feelings.

Next time would be different. He wouldn't let her go next time, he would make sure she knew every day how much he loved her.

Harry walked back to his flat and apparated to his flat. He had been taking things in small loads to the Manor on the outskirts of the city. Today he would finish, tomorrow he would clean and on Saturday Ron and Hermione would come home to a little love nest.

* * *

The whispers had started. Primarily when she walked through the halls. Girls looked at her differently somewhat confused or maybe it was apalled she didnt really care to know. Though she had been fairly small throughout the beginning, her stomach was now protruding from her abdomen a great deal. She started feeling incredibly uncomfortable every time she tried to sleep.

Christmas was coming and the idea of staying at school by herself had become much less appealing. Things between her and Dane had improved but it wasn't like it used to be.

"Hey Dane," Ginny greeted as he sat down at the pub,

"How are you doing?" He was noticeably more cheerful than he had been recently

"Everything aches, I'm fat, and I have a peculiar craving for liver and onions, other than that though I'm doing just fine" he laughed

"Are you still planning on staying here for the Holidays?" she nodded, "I just got an owl back from my mum, I asked if I could bring a guest home who had no where to go for Christmas. My mum said she would love to have you,"

"Dane, that was really sweet but I don't think it's appropriate,"

"Of course it is, you drew the lines and I accept. No one should be alone for the Holidays,"

"I have never met your family and the day they meet me I will be six and a half months pregnant, great first impression,"

"My parent's won't care, it will just let them know even more so that we are nothing more than just friends,"

"I don't know… I told my family I was staying here, it seems like even more of a betrayal to go somewhere else for Christmas"

"No one should be alone through the holidays Gin, besides so late into the pregnancy it's not safe for you to be alone,"

"I'll think about it," she said trying to move on to a subject that made her feel less uncomfortable,

"It would be fun Ginny,"

"I said I would think about it," she was getting a little cranky now,

"Okay," again the awkward silence took over the table

"I'm sorry I know I've been a bitch lately, I think I am starting to understand what they meant by hormones going out of whack"

"It's alright,"

They walked together to the library, assuring him she would be staying late into the night and that he needn't wait to walk her back. The library was nearly empty, aside from Julianne Linton. Julianne took many classes with Ginny was generally quiet, reserved and pegged as an oddball of sorts among her classmates.

Ginny sat quietly trying to understand the war strategies placed against Grinwald in 1943. Then without warning and without any respect towards her goals for the evening the baby started kicking. Ginny couldn't focus when something this miraculous was happening; she just put her hand on her stomach and smiled. She noticed Julianne looking at her, she smiled back, trying for once to be friendly with someone other than Dane.

It was time to move on to 1945- the defeat of Grinwald about an hour after the baby kicked. She got up and headed over to the history section of the library, Julianne was also in that section,

"Analysis of Dark Wars?" Ginny asked giving a half hearted smile,

"Yeah, I'm looking for 1943-44," she said thumbing through the books carefully

"Oh, I have it, do you have 1945 on?" Julianne smiled,

"Yeah, here I'll walk it over for you," she said glancing quickly at her pregnant belly,

"Mines just over there on the table," they arrived at the table and Ginny dug through all of her papers,

"Here," she said handing the book over, now easing very carefully into her chair, "Egh its going to be hard to get comfortable again," she groaned, Julianne looked at her nervously,

"How far along?"

"She will be here in three and a half months," Ginny recited with ease,

"She?"

"I'm having a baby girl," Ginny said, it was the first time she had talked to anyone other than Dane about her baby,

"Really? Do you know any names yet?" Ginny paused, she hadn't really thought of any, had it been a boy then it would have been quite easily James, but it was a girl…

"To be honest I hadn't really thought of any" they both sat quietly for a moment,

"Oh man I thought that would be the best part! I need to go study Grinwald some more but how about tomorrow we catch lunch?"

Ginny nodded, "Alright meet me at my flat, Wentel 154"

"I'll see you at around 1:30?" they agreed and Julianne walked back to her section of the library and Ginny was back to studying.

It was almost one before Ginny got back to her flat. She fell asleep soon after taking her daily vitamins.

* * *

"Harry please!"

"Oliver I told you I am really busy this weekend,"

"I'll help you!" Oliver had a crush on one of the healers assigned to the team, when he finally built up the nerve to ask her out she told him she would love to but her cousin was in town from Scotland.

"I don't know…" Harry said filling boxes and trying to get things organized,

"I am at your service ALL weekend if you do this for me Harry PLEASE,"

"Alright what time?" Harry finally agreed

"THANK YOU! Eight o'clock at the Pub, then we will go to dinner. Oh thank God. Thank you Harry!"

"You better be a hell of a lot of help to me this weekend,"

"Oh I will! Tomorrow first thing!" Oliver sprinted out of the flat with alarming speed

Harry laughed, it couldn't be too bad, he hadn't been on a first date since that awkward situation with Cho when he was fifteen but things would be different this time. There were no expectations, this girl probably felt about as awkward as he did.

Harry continued to pack up things that were completely necessities. He left out a green sweater and some dark jeans he planned on wearing tonight. He showered quickly and put on his clothes feeling a little apprehensive about this whole ordeal. It was seven thirty and he left for the pub intent on walking as opposed to apparating. It was an easy way for him to relieve any stress.

He met Oliver inside who had ordered a round of butterbeers for the four of them. Almost as soon as Harry sat down he saw Abby and her cousin come in.

He and Oliver stood up,

"Harry you know Abby," Oliver said introducing the two, Abby took the initiative to finish.

"And this is my cousin Claire," she was a beautiful girl, petite figure, long brown hair, and bright blue eyes that shot at him in a way that surprised him.

"Good to meet you Claire" Harry said reaching out and shaking her hand, she nodded in acknowledgement, meanwhile Abby and Oliver started making eyes at each other.

They sat down, Claire next to Harry across from Abby and Oliver who started their own private conversation. Harry sat awkwardly swirling his drink in a circle.

"So I don't know about you but I feel like a third wheel on this date" Harry looked up surprised by Claire's comment,

"Yeah, it is kind of awkward," he replied still caught slightly off guard,

"So I assume you went to Hogwarts?" he nodded

"Yeah I went with Oliver, he was my quidditch team captain for three years"

"I wish I could have gone there,"

"Where did you go?" he thought she had been from Scotland which would have allowed her to go there,

"I went to Newtswarth, it's a school in America," he looked at her strangely

"I thought you were from Scotland"

"My parents were transferred during my fourth year and I chose to remain at Newtswarth but came to Europe to stay with them after graduation,"

"I've never been to America, whats it like?" she laughed,

"Very different, people care a lot less about decorum, but are more puritanical when it comes to morality,"

"Seems contradictory," she laughed,

"In a way it is, I loved it though, I was born here and lived here until I was seven, then moved to America,"

"Wow, I thought I was well traveled being in the quidditch league but you no doubt have probably traveled more than myself,"

"Maybe," she said coyly, Harry smiled, she was quite different than the girls he had been around

The rest of the evening went on rather smoothly, Harry found Claire to be easy to talk to which made the night seem to move along faster than it had,

"Well boys," Abby announced, "It is now half past one and I have to get up early tomorrow, so it looks as though we will be leaving you" Oliver walked her out and they shared a few private moments away from the crowd,

"It was good meeting you Harry Potter," she smiled,

"As it was meeting you Claire…"

"Abshyre" she smiled,

"Yes, right," He was nervous,

"I'll see you around," she said walking away

"Goodbye," Harry said, dumbfounded at the situation he was now in. He felt incredibly guilty, as though he was cheating, and as much as he tried to convince himself they weren't even a couple anymore they were still in a way committed.

"So Harry," Oliver said smiling, "You and Claire seemed to hit it off well,"

Harry nodded, "She was a nice girl,"

Oliver teased Harry about the situation for a while but it became clear it was not something Harry wanted to discuss. For the first time in his life he felt like a scum bag, but even more alarming he was beginning to wonder what he felt guilty about, he didn't have feelings for Claire, he certainly didn't do anything wrong, yet she had made him smile and laugh in a way that only Ginny had been able to do before.

YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT TO DO!!! R&R:-D smiles i made the A on my history final!!


	10. Almost Out

"You are sure you don't want to come?" Dane asked again

"Positive, I need to be far ahead in my classes before the baby comes, but thanks, really I know I seem unappreciative, it was very kind of you to invite me,"

"Will you at least come by for Christmas Dinner? That's all," she smiled,

"I suppose dinner couldn't hurt," his face lit up

"Alright then! I will see you on December 25 at five o'clock sharp!"

He reached in for a hug and held Ginny close, she would miss him, but Julianne would be staying until Christmas Eve (Ginny had been invited to have dinner there).

She and Julianne had gotten closer especially by the time final exams rolled in.

They had gone through names nothing seemed right. Nothing seemed strong enough or sweet enough, they all seemed too… something.

Julianne now often joined Ginny in her evenings with Dane in the pub, it was fun to have a small group to hang out with like she used to at Hogwarts. Especially now that she was well much larger, and required more favors from her friends it was nice to split the work.

Ginny walked back to her flat, Dane had brought in a Christmas tree and Julianne had come over, the three of them spent the evening decorating the tree, drinking non-alcoholic eggnog, and exchanging stories of their favorite Christmases.

It made her homesick, she longed greatly for Christmas at the burrow, with a sweater made by her mother (which she knew wouldn't fit her), her brothers thumping around, hurling bat-bogey hexes at them as they teased her mercilessly, Harry coming over Christmas morning in his flannel pants and Weasley jumper trying to pretend it didn't itch.

It was looking like a bleak Christmas.

Hermione was striding through Diagon Alley briskly, she had hit everything on her list and left herself with fifteen minutes to spare. Ginny had already said she wasn't exchanging gifts this Christmas but Hermione had been making extra money at work and decided to get Ginny a very charming necklace she saw in a muggle jewelry store.

As she walked by the Leaky Cauldron she saw a familiar face inside, Harry with a young woman, laughing and noticeably enjoying his time.

"Really Harry? Honestly,"

"No, Ron sat and explained it all to me when we were fourteen,"

"Wow, I knew at like twelve,"

"Scarlet woman," he said smirking

"Shut up you," she said slapping him in the arm,

"You're a funny girl,"

"And you're a funny boy, not haha funny, just weird," she said eying him

"And why is that?"

"This is the third time we have gone for coffee and you haven't tried to kiss me," Harry was taken back,

"I- uh," she smirked

"Its okay if your not attracted to me,"

"No- I just, well"

"So you are attracted to me?" she was tilting her head and smiling, and suddenly he stopped stuttering,

"Yes I am," she continued to look at him, and then without a thought he leaned over the table and kissed her briefly on the lips,

"Well, that was nice," she was surprised at his boldness, and rightly enough he was too

And as they sat there eyeing each other in silence a bushy haired girl left the window in a hurry.

She wasn't meant to see it, yet a part of her felt she needed to tell Ginny. Regardless of what she said she knew that Ginny was waiting for Harry, though waiting for what Hermione didn't know.

Before she had time to debate it further she quickly went to the train station. It was time to wish her best friend's happy holidays and quite possibly break her heart.

* * *

Final exams were grueling, she spent hours holed up in her flat eating ice cream and pickles, and staying away from poultry which was currently making her nothing but nauseous.

She was quite comfortable in her loveseat with her books propped up on her belly when Pig starting pecking wildly at her window.

"Come here hun," she said letting her owl in, and subsequently getting it water and food.

She reached for the package her owl had been carting; wrapped in a brown bag she saw words written very carefully "For Ginny, Happy Holidays, Harry,"

What she pulled out she could only laugh at, they were socks made by Dobby, "I 3 Ginny" they were discombobulated but thick, and when Ginny slid them on she wished she could see how funny her feet looked yet before she could take a seat she saw a letter below everything else written in Hermione's handwriting

"Hey I'm coming by this afternoon I'll be there around eight" suddenly Ginny's mind went into a panic attack.

It was 7:23, Hermione was already on the train here, no time to tell her to stay behind. She would have to come clean to one of her closest friends. She hurried down the hall to

Julianne's room.

"JULES!!" Julianne came hurling out of the door,

"What!?!"

"Hermione just owled me, she is coming here, she is coming here," Julianne's eyes widened

"Okay lets clean up your flat, you shouldn't be traveling to the apparition point alone especially at night,"

"What am I going to do let her just wait?" Ginny was growing more and more impatient

"No, I will pick her up you can stay here, preparing yourself because you will have to tell her,"

Ginny nodded and went to her room to put regular clothes on, while Julianne cleaned up the flat, throwing away the unwrapped candy bars, and half drunken soda bottles.

At 7:50 she left and Ginny sat at the kitchen table of her flat not knowing what to tell her friend, truly worried that she may hate her for not telling her in the beginning. They had always talked about it, Hermione would be her child's Aunt, since she and Ron's wedding Hermione had become family.

Hermione stepped off the train with a heavy heart, she was still debating on whether she should tell Ginny about what she saw.

She looked for flaming red hair as she stepped off the train but didn't see any, she did however see a nervous looking girl attempting to wave her down.

"Hermione?" she asked

"Yes," Hermione replied still feeling some what out of place,

"Hi, I'm Julianne, Ginny couldn't make it out here to meet you so I came to bring you to her"

"Is she doing alright?" Hermione said now worried

"As well as can be expected with exams but I'll let her talk to you about that," on the way up to the flat they made small talk,

"Ginny said she was having trouble making girlfriends up here,"

"Yeah a lot of the girls are of a rather snooty nature," Hermione nodded,

"She doesn't put up with that too well," they continued walking they made nice yet both had other more pressing matters on their minds.

"Its right down the hall 7C" Julianne said walking into her flat directing Hermione down the hall

"Thanks," she walked down and knocked on the door,

"Come in," Ginny said her eyes beginning to well up as she sat at her kitchen table

"Ginny!" Hermione said now wondering why her friend didn't bolt towards her as well,

"Please don't be mad Hermione," and then Ginny stood, her hands holding her belly, tears streaming down her face,

"Oh my, oh- I, oh Ginny when, with, well I" Ginny nodded painfully,

"I know, sit down let me explain it all to you"

She then proceeded to tell Hermione about she and Harry's break up, that last time they were together. She told her why she had kept it from Harry originally, and after he came to visit how she continued to keep it a secret.

"I'm so sorry Hermione, he is one of your best friends I couldn't ask you to betray him. I just cant tell him you know how he is, he it would destroy him and his career, at the end of the season I will invite him here and break the news to him gently"

"Ginny, how can you expect to do this alone?"

"Im not alone Hermione, really, Julianne and Dane have been amazing, they are hiring a house elf to help while I'm gone to classes. Julianne has been helping with names," suddenly Hermione's face softened,

"And?" Ginny forced a laugh,

"Nothing yet, nothing fits,"

"Well have you thought of meanings?"

"Kind of, mainly just what sounds cute" she smiled

"Alba and Harriet are out of the picture," Ginny nodded, "Think about things that you would hope for most in a daughter, things that all of yours and his role models showcased most,"

Ginny thought, "Bravery, honesty, strength internally and externally and a wisdom that I could never achieve"

"Look those up you might be surprised," she shrugged it off,

"It took me so long to be able to enjoy my pregnancy its kind of a relief to see you here and be able to tell you, such a weight off my chest,"

"I just, you're going to have a baby, how are you going to tell your family?" she laughed and shook her head,

"when I come home you will come with me they will be so excited to see me, bringing an extra little visitor will be a happy change for them,"

"Your brothers will murder Harry," Hermione added with a smile,

"It will be fun to watch, that's actually something I'm looking forward to," Ginny laughed, "However telling Harry will not be fun, with any luck he will still be waiting for me,"

At that Hermione's face fell, "There's a reason I came here today," Ginny saw it in the way she said it,

"My luck has run out?" Hermione didn't say anything at first,

"I saw him, with some girl at the Leaky Cauldron while I was getting Christmas presents,"

"Oh," Ginny replied quietly now clutching her belly,

"I mean I didn't see much, a quick kiss, but it didn't look like anything serious," Ginny gave a half hearted smile and shook her head,

"Has Harry ever been involved when he didn't seriously like them?" Hermione stayed quiet, "Right, I expected so much, Witch Weekly's Bachelor of the Year was bound to meet someone, thin and gorgeous, smart, Harry wouldn't have it any other way"

"Ginny I highly doubt she could hold a candle to you,"

"She is though Hermione, I mean I had Dane on the back burner for a while but I never actually did anything, and I'm not going to because it wouldn't be right,"

"Ginny,"

"I guess I'm just surprised, I mean this may sound cruel but I always though I had the upper hand, I guess I was wrong, I over estimated his feelings for me,"

They didn't speak much for the rest of the night, they made small talk at dinner but Ginny was having trouble focusing.

* * *

"Claire, you should know," Harry said as he dropped her off at her flat

"You carry a lot of baggage?"

"A train's worth,"

"Look Harry, that kiss can remain where it was, I mean it was nice, but the last thing you need is a relationship, and the last thing I want to be is the product of a lack of options," Harry smiled,

"Thanks,"

"I just wanted you to realize, sometimes it can feel like you'll never be whole again, but you'll never know until you give life a chance to surprise you,"

It was then that Harry realized he couldn't live his life in a daze, moping and watching every opportunity flutter past him. It was no way to live.

And that's it, sorry for the delay, I know people will be mad at the Claire thing, I promise it all adds to the story happily. The next one will have Christmas with Julianne and Dane's family then we only have two more months til the baby comes!!! It gets better…. I told my friend Shannon, she was pretty stoked ab it!! (shan-on-a-non rocks)


	11. The Night Before Christmas

"Look Ginny, I'm not going to say I agree with you not telling Harry, however I'm going to respect what you want, just be safe, healthy, and I will owl you if I think of any names,"

"Thanks Hermione," Ginny replied hugging her best friend,

"And you make sure Dane Owls me the SECOND you go into labor. I refuse to be left out of that,"

"I'll be sure,"

"And here, its your Christmas present," Ginny sighed

"I told you not to get me anything this year, I have nothing for you,"

"I get a niece, now open it up!" she laughed,

It was bath salts. Ginny smiled,

"I know its nothing really fancy but even now more than ever,"

"I love it Hermione really thank you so much" she smiled, Hermione rubbed her belly,

"Now you be good to her, let her study, Happy Christmas Ginny"

"Happy Christmas"

Hermione boarded the train and looked at her friend, everything would change soon. She was bound to keep her secret, something she had rarely struggled with. This however had to be the biggest secret she had ever kept from anyone.

Ginny waved goodbye, this morning she had turned over a new leaf completely she wasn't going to worry about Harry anymore, she and her baby would be their own family. She would have Dane and Julianne to help and if she didn't get a move on she would be late to dinner with Julianne's family.

She went to her closet; she had managed to find a decent maternity dress. It was long sleeved, black with an emperor lining around the bust. She went to great lengths to present herself as put together though she was struggling more and more with getting appropriate shoes on.

"Ginny are you ready?"

"Almost, a soon as I can buckle my shoes!" Julianne laughed

"Let me," she walked in the room, "Wow, Ginny if you didn't have a baby popping out I would say you are very sexy,"

"Oh why thank you," she said now standing up and looking at the mirror,

"Where's your coat?"

"In the closet,"

"Alright I have your coat, lets go dinner starts at six but my brothers were coming in from Amsterdam at five. Have you ever been to Germany?"

"Briefly, but not for a prolonged stay,"

"Well Christmas Eve in Berlin is quite lovely, did you pack everything in your overnight bag?"

"Yes and thank you so much for letting me stay the night. I'll leave tomorrow afternoon for Lezin, Switzerland with Dane's family. So weird,"

"I'm sure you will be fine," they made there way down to the train. Ginny had begun peeing every hour on the hour.

A little ways into the trip Ginny finally brought up what had been eating away at her.

"Harry met some one," she said quietly, Julianne looked up,

"Oh," she said trying to hide her pity,

"Hermione doesn't know who she is; I mean I guess I'm not surprised. Being apart for so long; and I am the one that sent him away. We talked after it happened and we both said, someday will be our day, I guess I just thought, I don't even know anymore,"

"If you had told him about his daughter things might have been different,"

"Yeah, and then the reason we would still be together would be because of the child we had together. The thing is I wanted things between Harry and I to be real, and true,"

"Who's to say it never was,"

"When he dumped me after my fifth year, it was okay because I knew we would go back, it sucked, but it was unsaid. I left him for the same reasons, and it was understood that I still loved him and he said he still loved me, I just never thought I would be doing this alone,"

"You will never be going at this alone, I promise,"

They arrived in Germany at half past four and got into a muggle taxi cab which took them to Julianne's home on the out-skirts of Berlin.

"My parent's aren't magical, so if they ask a lot of strange questions please don't take offense,"

"Of course not, that is quite honestly the last thing I am worried about,"

"They don't really know about Harry Potter either," Ginny's eyes widened

"I forget how out of tune this world is to the Magical one is"

They pulled out to a pint sized house, cozy and warm.

"This is it," Julianne said opening the door and helping Ginny out of the taxi. Ginny was sure to brace herself as she walked up the icy path.

"JULES!" Ginny heard a woman yell from inside the house,

"Mum! Dad!" They were in their mid- fifties, and they were followed shortly by to burly looking boys, "Jacob! John!" she said reaching out to them,

"Oh and you must be Ginny! You are just stunning and look, you must be exhausted, boys don't just stand there help her with her bags!" Mrs. Linton said taking Ginny's arm into the house

"Thank you so much for inviting me for Christmas Eve really it is so sweet of you to open your home to me," Mr. Linton smiled,

"Don't be so thankful, you haven't tasted the food we are having," Ginny laughed,

"And don't worry Jules told us about your issue with poultry, which I can completely understand so we are having turkey," Mrs. Linton added,

"Ginny and I are going to go upstairs and get situated before dinner,"

"Alright girls, Luke and the twins should be here in about a half an hour" Mrs. Linton said making her way back to the kitchen

Ginny looked about the house, it was lovely, in a charming way it was filled with every bit of warmth a house could exude.

When they got upstairs they went into Julianne's room, two twin beds had been set up, and the room was delicately pink. Her parents must have been excited at getting a daughter amongst all boys.

"So what's the plan for the evening?" Ginny asked laying down on the bed

"Dinner, Christmas story, Luke will put the twins to bed and then we will all just sit around and talk,"

"The twins?"

"Madison and Eric, Luke is a widower, his wife Karen died in an automobile accident when the twins were four," Ginny's face fell

"How old are they now?"

"Six and a half, it was really bad at first, my mom moved in with him for a while but its just him and the kids now," Julianne said running a comb through her hair,

"I can't even imagine,"

"His eyes remained bloodshot for the first few months, now though he remembers fondly, but sometimes I think the holidays are especially hard," Ginny nodded and closed her eyes, she was exhausted,

"So how old are your brothers anyway?"

"Luke is twenty five, Jacob is twenty three, and John is sixteen," Ginny opened her eyes

"Really? I thought you were the baby," Julianne laughed

"Regardless of my age I am still the baby sister of my brothers" it was then that they heard a thumping and squeals from downstairs, Julianne cracked a smile, "Their here!"

She helped Ginny off the bed and down the stairs, the family had congregated itself in the entry hall, hugging and kissing, the kids hanging all over their Uncles.

Ginny caught her first look at Luke; his skin was tan, his hair, a tuft of brown and dark eyes. He glanced up at her and smiled, and then realizing his sister was barreling towards him beamed a smile at her and gripped her into a paralyzing hug.

"How's my favorite little sister?" he asked,

"Great! How are my favorite niece and nephew?"

"AUNT JULIE!" the little girl exclaimed

"Sorry excuse my inconsiderate sister, I'm Luke," he said extending his hand towards Ginny,

"Ginny, I'm a friend of Julianne from school,"

"Oh," he said suddenly looking surprised,

"We aren't all green with warts," she said smiling

"No, I just forget sometimes,"

"Alright everyone this way this way!" Mrs. Linton exclaimed the table was set for nine,

Ginny took a seat at the end of the table next to Mrs. Linton (at one head), Julianne at her side, and Luke and the twins across from her.

"Alright everyone join hands," Ginny was taken back, she took the hands of both Julianne and Mrs. Linton, Mr. Linton continued, "Dear Lord, thank you for getting us all together this evening to celebrate the birth of your only Son. And thank you for the safe arrival of our daughter and her guest. May we continue to find ways to be eternally thankful, in your name we pray, Amen."

"Amen," everyone said in unison, Ginny looked around she had never heard such a thing before,

They passed around plate after plate. Dinner was a time of easy conversation passing from one person to another, teasing and again Ginny was overwhelmed with feelings of love.

"So Ginny, how many months along are you," Mrs. Linton asked eagerly,

"Seven and a half now," Ginny said smiling,

"You are really just glowing, in the way only a pregnant woman can" she added,

"I don't feel that way," Ginny laughed, "everything feels swollen, I haven't seen my feet in months, and I miss chicken salad,"

Luke laughed, "Well mom is right, pregnancy really suits you," Ginny blushed,

"So Eric," Julianne interjected, trying to avoid any more awkward turns of the conversation, "How's soccer going?" and on continued the dinner, every time Ginny felt Luke looking at her she turned away quickly.

After dinner the family gathered in the living room in front of the tree the Christmas music was turned off Ginny sat next to Julianne on the couch, with Madison snuggling on the other side of her, rubbing her belly out of curiosity.

"It moved!" she shouted, everyone laughed,

"Well you moved too when you were in mommy's tummy," Luke said picking her up and setting her in his lap

"Really?" she said her eyes getting wide,

"You moved so much sometimes mommy couldn't even sleep! You and Eric played all the time,"

"Its because he was pulling my hair,"

"Shh grandpas going to tell us the story of Christmas," Ginny's ears perked up again, in all her life she had only vaguely heard this story, and it had only been picked up in little bits,

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men'" he looked up from the book, "Madison, Eric, do you know who was born that night?"

"JESUS!" they both squealed, Ginny sat dumbfounded. She had never heard it told so simply before, 'peace, good will toward men', what a world that must be like to live in.

"That's right," Mr. Linton said, "That was the night of the greatest gift mankind was ever given,"

"Alright kids, bed time," Luke said standing up, "Father Christmas comes tonight,"

The kids walked around giving everyone hugs, and complained relentlessly as they were guided up the stairs by their father.

For the next hour they sat and listened to Christmas music, the boys ate pie, and they sang carols.

"Well everyone, I don't mean to sound like an old fart, but I am headed off to bed," Mr. Linton said

"And I will follow the old fart," Mrs. Linton added standing up with her husband,

Pretty soon everyone started heading up to bed.

When they got to Julianne's room Ginny started feeling the baby kick again.

"I should have told you, I forget when I come home, my family is pretty religious," Julianne said stepping into her nightgown.

"I'd never heard that all of that stuff before, I know who God is, but the stories," she paused unsure of what to say, "They are… comforting,"

"It was the soundtrack to my childhood,"

"Thanks for inviting me here," Ginny said pulling on her wool socks.

Julianne yawned, "No problem Gin, Happy Christmas,"

"Happy Christmas," Ginny laid back in bed, the baby was relentless, and after about an hour it was doing a little tap dance on her bladder. As quietly as she could she crept out of bed to the bathroom. If there was anything that annoyed her most about being pregnant was the constant peeing.

When she was coming out she saw a light on downstairs and the Shirley Temple in her belly was going to be keeping her up for a while, so she gave into her curiosity and went downstairs.

And there she saw him, Luke, sitting at the kitchen table, just staring, then the stair creaked. Luke was startled, he flew around,

"Oh my-" he exclaimed

"Sorry," Ginny said slowly making her way to the kitchen, "I couldn't sleep,"

"I never sleep on Christmas, not since I was a kid," he said trying

"This is the first Christmas I have ever had without any of my family," Luke looked at her with a questioning look in his face.

"Do they not agree with the whole pregnancy thing?" he asked

"To be honest, they don't know about it, not even the dad knows"

"Why?" was all it seemed he could muster

"Timing, they would want me to leave school, and I have six older brothers, who think of the father like a brother,"

"So your ashamed?" Ginny was surprised at the nerve he had,

"I am not ashamed, I made a decision, it would be incredibly selfish of me to pour this on the father now and my family wouldn't be ale to keep it from him"

"I think you underestimate the people in your life,"

"I think I am dead on," she said now eyeing him more closely

"Oh the scorn of a pregnant woman in her third trimester"

Ginny just looked at him and rolled her eyes, they sat their in silence for a few minutes,

"My wife, she gave birth pre-maturely, which is more common in multiple birth pregnancies," he smiled then his face went blank again and he got quiet

"Miss her?" he turned to Ginny,

"Every year I think it will get easier, and it does in some ways but in others it just makes me less angry but more sad,"

"What do you mean?"

"For a long time I was angry at God for taking away my children's mother. As much as I tried to pray, I was still angry at him. Then I woke up one morning and realized that she wouldn't have wanted that for them, and so I worked a lot, I was up at their school volunteering I kept myself busy trying to avoid the hurt. Then I found an old bottle of perfume in the closet… and I cried for the first time since the funeral, I had forgotten what she smelled like, how she used to dab it carefully on her chin before we went out. It was the smell that I used to find intoxicating, and I had forgotten, and I realized when my kids grow up they will have faded memories of the woman who loved them so much. I just wish I hadn't waited so long to marry her, to have kids with her, we could have had so much more time,"

"I cant imagine…" Ginny said now stunned

"Don't try, you'll drive yourself crazy, just don't waste time on the things that really matter, you just have to have faith that everything will fall into place" she looked down at her belly now holding it closely,

"She's all that matters to me, everything else, its not important she needs me and I need her,"

"And the father?" Luke asked looking her directly in the eye

"Will know soon enough, I'm tired, she finally calmed down a bit,"

"Any ideas for names?" he asked

"None, every time I think I have one I find something I don't like about it," she said turning around to leave

"Sophie?" Ginny stopped…

"What does it mean?"

"Wisdom, something that will come to both of you in time, you'll discover it together…"

"Sophie… I like that," she said now smiling to herself,

"Happy Christmas Ginny,"

"Happy Christmas Luke"

Ginny walked up the stairs it was a strange evening, yet she had felt overcome with peace.

* * *

Harry stood outside Claire's flat with a long red velvet box weighing down his coat pocket. He took a deep breath and knocked, he heard the clank of heels walking towards the door and he had to catch his breath, he was always surprisingly nervous when he went out with her. He could never figure out why but there was a fear buried deep within him, he wasn't sure of what but it was strong.

The door opened and he had to catch his breath in his chest. Her hair cascaded down her back in one long fluid motion, her dress was navy blue backless with a scoop neck, it hugged her hips tightly and cut off at her knees, her shoes were simple and navy.

"Your beautiful," he said when he could find the air,

"Thank you," she said blushing, it was the first time he had ever seen her look so sheepish.

Harry reached out for her white peacoat and helped her put it on, he when it was on he pulled her hair out the back of her jacket, it smelled of lavender, fresh and clean. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, then held out his arm to escort her out of the house into an automobile the team had lent him.

"So where are we going this evening?" Harry smirked,

"Some place familiar, but you'll like it I swear"

"Okay…"

They pulled up to Harry's flat; Claire tried not to seem too disappointed,

"Trust me," she looked over at him,

"I do," he led her upstairs

Harry took a deep breath before he opened the door, and when he did, Claire was without any words. The lights were off the only lights came from the twinkle lights he had draped all over the living room, the table had been covered with a white table cloth, two candles and a single red rose sat across Claire's plate.

"This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,"

"You like it?"

"Harry I- its wonderful, your too sweet" he took off her jacket and walked her over to her seat.

The dinner went as planned, quiet with witty conversation, and the more charmed he was by Claire the more afraid he was. He didn't know what to make of Claire, he cared about her, they were friends and in the past few weeks they had become slightly more.

"Happy Christmas Harry," Claire said handing him a small box,

"Claire you didn't have to,"

"I wanted to," he opened it, a pair of emerald green cufflinks sparkled from the black backing, he smiled,

"Thank you," he reached into his pocket and pulled out the box that had been weighing it down,

"Harry if you spent-"

"Money is not an object with me Claire," she looked at him suspiciously and opened up the box, a long string of pearls sat in the box, each one reflecting off the twinkle lights in such a way they seemed to dance with delight.

"Oh Harry," she stood up, and walked over to him and kissed him, though it was the first time it seemed as this could lead to something more. Without warning all of Harry's muscles tensed up,

"I- I can't" she looked at him strangely

"We weren't doing anything Harry,"

"I just- I just mean you and I, this I don't know where its leading but it might be heading to a place I'm just not ready to go back to,"

"Or a place you're afraid your already at," she said quietly now sitting back down,

"Its not," she eyed him again,

"Really? I see the look in your eyes when you look at me even when we are happy, there is this sadness that I thought I found endearing and intriguing, but now I know its not sadness… it's a longing for something I cant give" now he craned his head,

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not her Harry, no matter how hard you try, how many romantic dates we go on, how many kisses you give me, and its wrong for me to think I can or even try,"

"Ginny has nothing-"

"She has everything to do with this," Harry paused, Claire was great, she was beautiful, smart, witty, charming, she was everything in a woman he found desirable, yet he was holding on. As much as he tried to convince himself he had moved on the more he became convinced that he hadn't.

"I'm sorry. I can't make any excuses, I think it would be best if we just remained friends for now," Claire inhaled slowly and uncomfortably,

"Agreed," they finished their dinner in an almost eerie silence. Ron had told him that dating other girls would help; he practically jumped on the Harry Claire bandwagon before it had even left the station.

When it was all over he got up and walked Claire home, the strong silence followed them out of the house and all the way to her door.

"Thank you Harry, it really was a lovely evening"

"Don't lie," Harry laughed, as Claire looked down and smiled, "You deserve better you know, you deserve a far, far better man than I"

"Oh I don't doubt that for a second," she said a smile now creeping across her face, he kissed her cheek then walked to the alley way so he could apparate back to his flat.

When would this saga end he thought as he walked into his flat pulled out his wand and began taking down the decorations. He and Ginny were over, though at one point it seemed as if it was all on the verge of change he had started pulling away once he met Claire and he figured Ginny had noticed for she too had become brief in her responses.

He couldn't help the things he was feeling for Claire, but in the end she was right… she wasn't nor would she ever be Ginny. He didn't want to forget Ginny, he didn't want to get over that… he wanted her and if she needed space he would give it to her knowing it was only right for them to be together in the end.

HEY! Sorry for the long delay, I have been oober stressed!!! Boys are terrible abominable creatures, lol not that bad but they are stressful mongrels. School is blah I got through my first round of exams and I survived so that's good. This chapter was supposed to be longer but eaglesnest informed me it has indeed been too long…


	12. Happy Christmas?

"Miss Ginny! It's Christmas! Wake up!" Eric said charging into the room,

"SH QUIET ERIC YOU'LL WAKE UP THE BABY!" Madison yelled hitting the back of his head

"Sorry," he whispered, "but hurry Santa came and brought presents!"

Ginny smiled, she rolled out of bed, pulled on some thick wool socks and put on her robe, easing her way down the stairs checking the clock. She had to leave by noon to make it to the apparition point in Lezin where she was meeting Dane by one.

"Happy Christmas!" she heard everyone squeal at one time or another, the twins tore through their presents while the adults seemed to browse through theirs a little slower, making easy conversation, reminiscing about Christmas' past. These were the times that made Ginny long for home, long for her parents, all her stupid brothers and their idiotic jokes, she even missed Fleur, even if it was in the tiniest smallest fragment.

Ginny went upstairs, she had an hour before she had to leave and meeting Dane's family was making her more and more nervous. She pulled on a pair of jeans and dark green sweater. She was lucky in her pregnancy she hadn't put on as much weight as women generally did, her slim figure had remained petite, the mediwitch at school attributed it to her age, yet Ginny was sure she probably hadn't been eating like she should, and the constant stressors put on her life weren't helping her appetite.

With a flick of her wand she was packed, her trunk made lighter, and then she sat. She had been feeling a little strange all day, very tired, and the stomach pains she usually attributed to gas were hitting every few hours. She sat breathing deeply on the bed, then at about ten minutes to noon she heard a knock on the door,

"Ginny?" it was Luke,

"Yes?"

"Its about that time, I'll be taking you to the preparation point," he sounded confused, she smiled,

"Apparation point?"

"Yes well, Jules is coming too, she just can't drive you herself,"

"Alright," she winced as she stood up,

"You feeling okay?" Luke asked picking up her bag,

"Yah she's just," she paused, "I'm fine"

Ginny fell asleep almost as soon as she got in the car.

"She's exhausted," Luke mentioned after about ten minutes of silence,

"She works to hard, she refuses to get any special treatment at school,"

"Hard headed?"

"More than anyone I have ever met," Julianne sighed,

"She's got spirit"

"True, but she's pregnant, she's ballooning, and the stress isn't healthy for her"

"Keep an eye on her, she needs you" he warned, Julianne laughed,

"I will, you seem to have taken a special interest in her," she said eyeing him carefully,

"She feels alone, I guess I can understand what its like going into parenthood feeling like that,"

It didn't take long before they reached the apparition point,

"Hey Gin," Julianne said nudging her, "we're here,"

"What, ow," she winced again, the girl was giving her a lot of trouble today, "Right okay thanks,"

"No problem, might want to dab some water on your face before you meet Dane's family,"

"Thanks," Ginny replied rolling her eyes and wiping the drool from her chin,

"Be safe, and take it easy Ginny," Luke said handing her bag to her from the trunk,

"Right," she said stifling a laugh,

"Owl me if you need anything," Julianne added,

"I will be fine, don't worry please, I'm fine," Ginny added walking up to the apparition point at a very steady somewhat unconfident pace,

"I love you hun, I'll see you back at school," Julianne said reaching to give Ginny a hug goodbye,

"Love you too, safe trip back,"

"Bye Ginny," Luke said reaching in for a hug,

"Take care of yourself kid," he whispered before they parted,

She nodded and smiled at them both before grabbing her bags and apparating.

"Ginny!" Dane yelled, separating from an older couple and making his way towards her, Ginny smiled,

"Hey!"

"Come here I missed you!" he said reaching out,

"I missed you too," though he had been on her nerves these last few weeks, she really had missed him, in all of his warmth and caring nature, and his hugs, big bear hugs,

"Ginny, it is so good to finally meet you," an older man said reaching out a hand, "I'm Aston Albright, and this is my wife, Abigail"

"Dane has told me so much about you" Ginny said reaching out a hand,

"Oh well we knew about you even before you started hanging around with Dane, you have quite the reputation in the defense field for being fierce," Ginny smiled, it seemed like such a long time ago,

"Well when your boyfriend is the wizard with the highest bounty you get to see a lot of action, and if you're not fierce you don't survive," his parents laughed

"Well then we may just be talking to the toughest witch of this generation," Aston commented

"Not hardly," she laughed, clutching her belly,

"Come on now lets head back to the house" Dane said before the conversation continued, "Come here Ginny grab my hand"

Before Ginny could say anything she was sucked in, the world sped fast around her, and then, it stopped and she was looking at some of the most beautiful mountains she had ever seen. Nestled between them was the kind of home that you had to look hard to find, an average sized home, with average looking angles, yet it seemed to have the most miraculous design in all its average appeal.

"Its amazing," was all she could utter, and again she found herself catching her own breath,

"You okay?" Dane said now looking worried,

"It's just the altitude I'm sure" he eyed her carefully as they made there way into the house,

The house smelt of sugar and cinnamon with a hint of ginger. The fireplace made it all glow in golden tones; it reminded her of the Burrow in all of its coziness.

"I love it," Ginny said smiling looking at Dane,

"I thought you might" Dane said watching her closely, "Let me take your bags upstairs," she nodded and handed him her bag,

"You can take a seat wherever dear, make yourself at home," Mrs. Albright said smiling and pointing over to the living area. Usually Ginny would have refused and asked to stay up and help but just now she was thinking she could use a rest. Something didn't feel just right, but she wasn't sure if it was necessarily wrong. She sat and carefully allowed herself to breath in and out.

Dane came down the stairs and stopped at the bottom to watch Ginny. Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly walking towards her,

"Just a little gas I'm sure," he didn't break eye contact,

"Really?"

"Its just a little more frequent than usual, I promise I'm nearly thirty weeks along, its supposed to get more painful, really, if it gets any worse I'll say something,"

"Okay, well dinners ready so come on, Mum's Christmas dinner is second to none," Ginny smiled,

"Well then I have a lot to be excited for I have had many a good Christmas Dinner,"

"Well over here my dear," he said helping her up and walking her over to the table,

"It's hard in that final trimester," Mr. Albright commented,

"I was on bed rest from stress with Dane," Mrs. Albright added in almost a groan

"Ginny's a trooper, she doesn't like to complain about anything,"

"That's because there is nothing to complain about," Ginny responded trying to sound bright and somewhat cheerful as her abdomen constricted once again, she gasped in pain,

Mrs. Albright looked startled, "Dear are you sure you are okay?"

"It's probably just gas, as embarrassing as that is to say,"

"Yes well if you have anymore I think we should head to St. Mungos, just to be safe," Ginny's eyes widened

"I really don't think that's necessary,"

"Worried about your anonymity?" Mr. Albright asked suddenly more aware of her situation, Dane gave him a sharp look,

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because she is a high profile case with an even higher profile ex-boyfriend, there is no doubt that a leak would cause a shudder in the Daily Prophet,"

"I primarily deal with my own medi-witch back at school" Ginny said quietly,

"Ginny, Aston and I have been in the defense program for years, I am sure we can call in a few favors if you wish," and then came another jut of pain, stronger than ever, it seemed she could barely breathe.

"Okay that's it," Dane said now standing up,

"I agree, let's go," Mr. Albright said definitively, Ginny was beginning to get scared, something was definitely wrong,

* * *

"Rough Day ay Harry?" Eddie Skeers from Quidditch Quarterly asked urgently

"Well as the season winds down players become more competitive, and players are also becoming more tired, which means they are at a greater potential risk for injury, now losing three starters in one game is rare,"

"How do you perceive your teammates will handle this?"

"Well I plan on going to St. Mungos to visit my friends, and I'm sure our team will recover, we have always shown great resiliency in the face of adversity,"

"Thank you for your time Mr. Potter, good luck the rest of this season," Harry nodded, Eddie was a fine reporter opinionated but fair, though he was not always kind he was always honest.

It had been an unexpectedly brutal game, though things looked bright at the beginning, after losing three of the original players and losing by 400 Harry could do nothing but catch the snitch and end the miserable defeat before any other players were injured by the burly Bulgarian defense.

He would return home for a shower, have his weekly dinner in the bar with Ron, and then head over to St. Mungos to laugh with his soon to be healed teammates.

* * *

"My Name is Aston Albright International Defense League, and I would like to call for a Level 5 confidentiality agreement with the patient I am bringing in," the medi-witches glanced urgently at each other and nodded leading him to a private exam room where Ginny, Dane, and Mrs. Albright followed.

Again Ginny felt an even stronger strain to her abdomen, and her lower back had been tightening up ever since they arrived at the hospital. She buckled over and seemed to have held her breath; slowly she let it out as they pulled up with a wheelchair.

"When did all of this start?" the mediwitch asked as Ginny changed into a hospital gown,

"Early this morning,"

"Have they gotten worse through out the course of the day?"

"Yes," she said now laying down on the bed,

"How many weeks?"

"Thirty," the mediwitch put her hand on Ginny's abdomen,

"Oh, okay, keep breathing Ginny," the medi-witch said in a pensive some what worried tone,

"What's wrong, is, is she okay?" Ginny said now feeling another cramp,

"Ginny I believe you are going through pre-mature labor," Ginny's face went white,

"What? What does that mean? She was healthy everything was fine,"

"Premature labor can happen for any number of reasons, have you been under a lot of stress lately?" Ginny put her head back and rolled her eyes, Dane piped up,

"Yes she has," the medi-witch nodded,

"That coupled with your petite size, and other factors unknown could lead to this,"

"What does that mean?" Ginny said now becoming frustrated,

"We will monitor you for the next hour and if your contractions continue to increase we will induce labor," Ginny nodded feeling another one coming on, they were getting stronger,

"However considering you have had what looks like two contractions since I've been in the room with you, I would suspect that we will have to deliver your baby prematurely,"

"Is that safe for her?" Ginny asked now becoming even more scared for her child,

"Because you are thirty weeks along, your baby is almost all developed, while she made need to spend some time in our ICU, I believe she will be just fine, her heart rate sounds strong, however if we let her stay in too long I fear it may cause fetal distress,"

"So she is going to be fine?" Ginny asked yet it sounded more like a demand,

"I will do everything I can Miss Weasley," Ginny let out a sigh of relief,

"Thank you—"

"Call me Adair,"

"Thank you Adair,"

As she left the Albrights followed her, Dane stayed behind with Ginny watching her monitors, and holding her hand as the pain came and went.

"This is to be kept completely confidential, no one is to know she is here outside from those who are absolutely needed," Mr. Albright said in his most intimidating voice,

"Yes, Mr. Albright"

"Thank you," the Albrights opted to sit outside the hospital room, while Dane stayed with Ginny,

"Owl Hermione, Dane I promised her you would tell her if anything happened, and um get Jules here," he looked a little alarmed, "I'll be fine Dane, really, I need my friends here with me,"

"What about-"

"Not now Dane I already told you, just wait okay,"

Ginny's mind was reeling, she didn't have a place for the baby yet, she thought she would have months before having to decide this. Everything felt like it was spinning so quickly out of control, everything she had worked so hard to maintain. And on came another contraction, she grabbed onto the bed rail tightly and gritted her teeth.

Dane walked into the room about fifteen minutes later, about fifteen minutes and two contractions later, Adair walked back into the room, looked over Ginny's charts and glanced back up,

"Its time Miss Weasley, your dilating, and your body isn't ready for her to come out but she thinks she is, so we are going to go in for a c-section,"

"You mean like cut me open and take her out," Ginny stated plainly,

"Essentially yes, it's the safest way Ginny"

"Okay if it will help her be safe then okay,"

And that is where I leave you, Im sorry I know its been forever since I last updated but the next chapter will be WONDERFUL I promise this one was written quickly and is not my best… so I apologize for that :-(


	13. Scar Tissue

Ginny had fallen asleep after finally seeing Sophie. She was little, 3.5 lbs, but Adair said she was going to be okay, they took her to the ICU to monitor her breathing, and Ginny was taken back to her room to rest.

Dane had gone to the store to buy the new mother some roses, Sophie was small but she looked good. She was a beautiful baby and there was a part of Dane that felt like a proud Uncle.

His parents had stayed until the surgery was over and they knew Ginny and Sophie were healthy, they then went out to get food for everyone and then returned to their home to rest.

Julianne and Hermione had arrived while Ginny was in surgery; they congratulated her after and stayed in her room with her until they were shooed out by the mediwitch who was very adamant that Ginny receive her rest. Julianne got a room at the Leaky Cauldron and was planning to see Ginny the next morning bright and early.

* * *

"Durwak didn't know what hit him," Miles laughed, Harry was surrounded by his quidditch team. They had all arrived at St. Mungos to check on their teammates after the brutal beating from Bulgaria. 

"Neither did you," Harry smiled, "You got knocked in the head and went spinning quite comically off your broom," they laughed and jeered until their stomachs began talking more than their mouths.

"Well gentlemen, I'm headed out" Wood said gathering up his things, there was a collective, "me too," coming from the others as they gathered their things.

"We will see you boys later," the healers said as they left, Harry among the last to leave, a nervous young healer reached out his hand,

"Good luck with the rest of this season Mr. Potter,"

"Thank You," he said, it always seemed so strange how people seemed to be in awe of him, even now. Here he was this great public figure, yet tonight he would be going back to an empty flat, drink a glass of wine, and fall asleep analyzing statistics for the next quidditch match.

He found himself wandering the halls of St. Mungos, passing by the rooms, occasionally glancing in at the rooms, remembering Christmas of his fifth year with Mr. Weasley, and meeting Neville's parents and grandmother. He walked past the rooms wondering what these people's stories were, an older woman lay alone her eyes open wide with seemingly nothing behind them, a little boy with a gash on his leg lay fast asleep, a young woman with fiery red hair- not just any young woman, it was Ginny.

Harry took a second to glance again. There she was lying helplessly on the hospital bed. He walked over, trying to relay in his head what to say to her, he poked his head in,

"Ginny?" she seemed startled

"Harry, what-what are you doing here?" someone must have told him, oh she did not need this right now

"Quidditch, a few guys got injured today" she sighed with relief,

"Right are they okay?"

"Yah but what about you why are you-"

"Delivery for Ginny Weasley the most beautiful-" Dane stopped dead in his tracks, he was going to say 'mother in the world' but it seemed he had interrupted something, Ginny didn't seem worried, she smiled at him, "I'll go get some water for these roses,"

"Thank you Dane," he smiled back at her,

"What was that all about?"

"What was what?" Ginny asked taken aback by his question,

"Are you guys together now or something?" her smile faded and her brow furrowed,

"Is that a problem?" he seemed agitated,

"Well you could have said something," he snapped

"I don't ask you about the women you go out with," her eyes bore into him, she knew, "besides its not like you have been too forthcoming in your letters"

"Forgive me for trying to move on, for trying to live my life,"

"Oh I forget your Harry Potter, no one else's problems can even begin to compare to yours,"

"And I forget you are Ginny Weasley the girl who spent a lifetime dishing out witty remarks and a sharp attitude, yet is a complete coward when it comes to anything that requires the slightest personal risk,"

"Get out," she said quietly,

"Why are you here?" he demanded

"Get out!" she yelled, wincing from the pain from her scar,

"Why-"

"Get out! You have no right to pretend you know what I have been through since we split up, get out now!"

"Fine," he huffed storming out,

Ginny hated this, she hated fighting with him, it was always agonizing, so many secrets, so much underlying tension, and words written with one look, feelings hidden behind their very fingertips. Maybe that's why it was so hard to not be in a relationship with him. When it was like this she hated him, he knew her too well, he knew what to say to push her buttons, and she knew what his were, that's why the fights were terrible, that's why she found herself hating him, yet desperately loving him at the same time.

"You alright?" Dane asked walking in with the bouquet in a vase,

"I'm fine, Sophie is healthy, and beautiful and tiny, and I'm fine,"

"Okay," he said sitting next to her,

"We fought again, its like we have been apart for so long resenting each other for whatever reason we don't know how to just be anymore,"

"You will,"

"Sometimes I'm afraid it will never be okay again, that I messed things up between us so much it will always be this wound we just keep tearing up to watch bleed," tears were streaming down now,

"You can't do anything about it now, when you are ready to tell Harry everything you will," he put his hand on hers, her hormones were a wreck and she would be in the hospital for at least another night while she recovered and Sophie had until the end of the week.

* * *

Harry apparated to Ron and Hermione's flat, 

"Ron! Hermione! Anybody here?!" Hermione came flying out of the bathroom

"What's wrong?" she asked breathing hard,

"Where's Ron?" Harry almost demanded

"Working, anything I can help you with?"

"Is Ginny seeing that Dane guy?" Hermione was taken aback this was not he question if any she had expected,

"No," Hermione said trying to figure out what was going on, Harry only looked minimally relieved

"How did she find out about Claire?" Hermione started getting a little red,

"I told her," Harry's eyes grew

"Why? Hermione why did you tell her that!?"

"Because Harry you were moving on, you were going on dates, Ron was basically the entire cheering section for you, I couldn't just not tell Ginny, she is one of my closest friends!"

"Why so she could get over me? I wasn't ready to let her go Hermione!"

"No Harry, so she could stop thinking that you were going to sit around waiting for her, so she would actually do something about it," Hermione's mind was reeling, "What brought all this on anyway?"

He calmed down a bit pacing up and down the breakfast area, "She's in the hospital, some surgery or something. I guess we didn't really get to that point of the conversation,"

Hermione remained quiet as if she had no idea,

"I thought I could do it Hermione, I just kept telling myself that I could let Ginny do whatever she needed to do and sit back and wait and could just be happy for her. I can't though, and I don't know why,"

"Harry do you want to be with her?" he stopped, hesitated almost,

"I don't know,"

"Figure it out Harry, then when you decide do it; don't do a song and dance about timing, just do it,"

Harry left the flat feeling empty. he walked through the winter air, it cut him crisply, when he was younger he thought one day he would find a woman who could make all of his dreams come true. Then the whole "Cho" thing happened, and he realized he needed to be more careful about whom he chose to be the object of his affections, and then there was Ginny.

It was like something out of a dream at first, then they were apart, she pretended to be over it, but with late night rendezvous and long conversation he knew neither of them was. Then they were together again, happily for the most part, they didn't see each other as much as they had wished, but it seemed to be enough. Then she left him, and he had felt betrayed, for the longest time he often thought she would be shattered and a wreck with out him, that he was in some way protecting her from being alone without him. He didn't know she could leave him as such a wreck.

He could never feel that way about another girl, he could never give himself as much as he had before. He would never open up to a girl the way he had opened up to Ginny. Even if he had wanted to those scars would always be there reminding him of what he could have had.

* * *

The next few days passed slowly, Ginny was able to leave the hospital though Sophie was required to stay for observation until the end of the week. She was small of course and some of her organs were slightly underdeveloped however she was doing just fine and was under the circumstances doing quite well. 

When she arrived to her flat at school she was welcomed with open arms by Dane, Julianne, and Hermione had even been able to come. They had each brought little presents, a cradle, high chair, little toys and baby clothes. It was lovely.

"I'm headed back to the hospital as soon as we finish eating and I grab my parchment for Occulemency,"

"Hey Gin, I need to talk to you," Hermione said now stepping up,

"Well then come to the hospital with me, I need to be with my daughter,"

No one was able to understand the way she felt about all this. After the fight with Harry she realized this maybe all she had, Sophie was the product of everything good and wonderful and beautiful they used to have, and she wasn't about to take that for granted.

Dinner was good, real food, not hospital food, it was nice to be back home, her friends were so excited for her yet there was an uneasiness that they all felt. They couldn't believe she still hadn't told him. Dane had told Julianne about her encounter with Harry at the hospital, both were beginning to worry about Ginny.

They arrived at the hospital they went to the private room Ginny had requested for Sophie.

"So you saw Harry," Ginny didn't speak, she kept her eye on Sophie, affectionately stroking her tiny fingers "Ginny?" she turned to look at Hermione her eyes looked empty and hurt,

"I have a daughter Hermione, a little life that I will be taking care of, I can't worry about boys anymore, I'm done," she looked at her little girl, a tuft of black curly hair, big beautiful eyes, fingers that could just grasp her pinky,

That was all that passed between them on the subject.

* * *

Harry was back with the team, he didn't know what to do, they were chasing the play-offs he had to put Ginny out of his mind, at least until the season ended. He had always been good at hiding his emotions and fears by obsessing about something, and that's what he would do. He would train, whenever he wanted to think of Ginny, he would look over statistics, anything. 

There were three months left of the season, and then spring would come, Ginny would be out of school, and maybe, just maybe they could pick up where they left off… he wouldn't let himself dwell on it.

Hope you guys are enjoyin... teh next chapter will bring about a VERY big change... its the chapter you have been waiting for...


	14. For Sophie's sake

Here it is the chapter you have been waiting for. I worked hard on it… I hope it's something that surprises you, I hope its something that will not cause you to hate any of my characters, and I hope that maybe you can finally understand Ginny, and the fact that she is not selfish just looking out for those she loves. And here it is… Chapter 14… "For Sophie's sake"

"And that's it after a valiant effort by Puddlemore they have lost the championship to the Tutshill Tornadoes!" Ludo Bagman yelled from the announcers booth

"Harry! Harry! Over here Harry!" It was Eddie Skeers, Harry walked over determined to hold his head high.

"Hey Eddie," he said avoiding the other reporters,

"Tough loss out there,"

"They out flew us tonight, Crasper did some amazing chasing, Johns and Ingram had some phenomenal beating,"

"Yet you caught the snitch,"

"Well if I'd caught it earlier we might have won,"

"Mr. Potter as always it is an honor to watch you fly,"

"Thank you Skeers, I will see you in the pre-season"

Harry left for the locker room, it had been a rough three months, and he had run himself down.

"The dedication he has shown these past few months, is incredible, I would almost venture to say he alone is the reason Puddlemore made it to this finals," Skeers commented to Ludo,

"Always knew he was a star, ever since that Triwizard Tournament"

Harry stood at his locker, no one was speaking, they had all had high hopes for the finals, they were the favorites throughout the whole tournament, but they couldn't pull through. They were done for a few months, he would be able to take a break, head back to London, spend time with Ron and Hermione, and do the thing he dreaded most of all… he was ready to see Ginny.

He was ready to talk to her, school was almost ending and after he emptied his locker, he would stop by the flower shop and tell her everything he had wanted to for so long.

"Ginny!"

"Sh! Sophie is taking a nap and is on the tail end of it," she whispered,

"Sorry, how are you doing?" Dane asked

"Good," she said giving him a hug as he kissed her politely on the cheek.

"It looks like I will be in the top quarter of my class at the end of the year I have one final exam left and its in International Beasts and Defense," Dane laughed

"And that is your strongest class," she smiled

"Yes it is,"

"I brought dinner from the pub for you, me, and Julianne,"

"How are things going between you two?"

"Slowly, but it is going well,"

"Aw, well I'm glad for that, here give me the food I'll heat it up and get out the dishes," she said getting dishes out of the cabinet

Suddenly Sophie started crying,

"She's awake," Ginny commented

"I'll get her, I haven't seen her all day," he walked into her room and picked her up,

"Thanks Dane!" the doorbell rang,

"Its okay I'll get it it's probably Jules," Dane called, "Who is at the door Sophie?" he cooed

He opened the door, "Harry," he couldn't say anything else,

Ginny's ears perked up, she hadn't heard his name in months though it had constantly been running through her mind.

"Is Ginny here?" Harry asked, confused as to why Dane was holding a baby and answering the door at Ginny's flat

"Yes, um, I will leave you two to it," he gave Sophie to Ginny, "Jules and I will just go eat at the pub tonight, I'll call you tomorrow, goodbye sweet girl" he added kissing Sophie on the forehead.

Ginny's heart was racing, the time had come, there was no way to deny it now, and there was no way around it.

Harry stood in the entry way, flowers in hand,

"Are those for me?" she asked timidly as Sophie played with her hair

"Yes, um, here," he said handing them to her,

"Thank you, could you hold her for me, I need to go put these in a vase," she handed Sophie to Harry

"Uh, sure" Harry had never really held a baby before,

"Make sure you support the head,"

"So how often do you have her?" he asked staring into the little girls eyes

"Everyday," Ginny said pouring water into the vase

"Wow, get paid a lot?" Ginny laughed,

"Not at all,"

"Then… what?" he asked very confused handing the baby back over to her

"She's mine Harry," his face went pale

"What?"

"She's ours Harry," he stood up and started backing up

"What?"

"The reason I was in the hospital and the reason I haven't seen you much over ht last ten months, is because I was pregnant with our child," she began to hold Sophie closer

"You, you were, I'm a, I'm a dad?" through the tears that were beginning to brim she tried to smile

"Sophie Evan Potter, she has your hair, and my eyes,"

"I have, why didn't you say something?!"

"Because I was afraid, of things I'm not even really sure of anymore, and I was going to come see you next Saturday I wanted to wait until after the season ended so that um you wouldn't be distracted by this,"

Harry's head was buried in his hands, "I have a daughter,"

"Yes you do,"

"I got you pregnant," it sounded so strange hearing it like that

"Yes,"

"You had our little girl…" his eyes were focused on something elsewhere

"Yes"

"Our child? You had OUR child and you didn't tell me??" he didn't seem as mad as he seemed hurt, "Did you think I would hurt it? That because I didn't have a good family,"

"No Harry not at all! It was, I didn't want to leave school and I didn't want the only reason we got together to be because of this little girl, I wanted it to run its course and over the past ten months it has, and we are no closer to getting back together than we were before," She set Sophie down in her little gym, she whacked at the brooms and pretend toads that were hanging from the top,

"Ginny this is our child, my child, I'm a father,"

"I know, and I'm her mother,"

"Your parents are going to hate me, your brothers will kill me," he said putting his hands over his face again

"No they won't, they will glad to finally see me and glad to know we have more of a family, I have proved I can take care of everything this long,"

"Well I'm off the team until November, I don't have to go back as early for try outs and initial training, so I will buy a flat nearby and you and Sophie can come be with me, we will worry about marriage and what not later,"

"Harry what are you talking about?"

"I love you Ginny, and you have just informed me we have a daughter together, do you need anymore proof that we are meant to be together?"

"You're right we do have a daughter, so now if this doesn't work out we don't just hurt each other, we hurt her, we don't just mess up our own lives, we mess up hers, and Harry you and I, nothing is ever just okay, its always hard,"

"Only because we had everything in the world keeping us apart Gin," she shook her head,

"And now again I have school and then you will be gone for four months, I'll see you sporadically and until then we are just supposed to pick up where we left off?" she walked over to the stove and poured herself some tea,

"Do you love me?" he asked simply now standing up

"Always, that's why I don't want to rush this, I don't want to just dive in, I want us to be okay,"

"It won't be diving in Ginny, we have been dancing around this for months,"

"No we have been hurting each other for months, now that's over, now we can focus on being nice to each other, being friends"

"And then what?" he asked walking over to her,

"Do you really need to ask?" she said, he was standing right over her now, his eyes piercing her in a way that only his could,

"I love you Ginny, there is no one else, and there never will be,"

"Then wait Harry, wait until it stops hurting, wait until when you think of me you smile, wait until when you think of me you don't feel angry,"

"What about Sophie?" he asked looking over at his daughter as she was now giggling under the gym,

"You can come see her whenever you like, some weekends if you like you can take her with you, however I think we should wait until you feel like you know what you are doing,"

"I'm still going to buy a flat in town," he said now feeling more calm,

"Good, it will be nice to have you nearby,"

"I came here today… to tell you I'm sorry. For the hospital, for every shred of anger I've had, for not writing more, for not understanding the space you needed, and for not fighting harder for you. I love you and I have loved you and I will wait because you are the only one I have ever wanted," Ginny's back was to him, she couldn't see his face and she didn't want him to see hers, she was crying again, she hadn't cried in months, yet now as his voice soothed her with words, words she felt but had never been able to say,

"Just friends Harry,"

"Okay," Harry started heading to the door, his head hanging only slightly

"Wait, I know I shouldn't but, can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course," he smiled

"Will you go with me… when I go home? When I tell my parents,"

"I would never let you go alone, we are in this together Gin, you have to realize that now, we may just be friends, but this is as much my responsibility as it yours. When do you leave?"

"One week, I have my last final this week, then after that… I told them I would be home on Sunday… with some news" Harry smiled

"Well they will certainly be surprised, can I invite you and Sophie over for dinner once I get my flat taken care of?"

"We would like that very much," Harry nodded at her, he would be able to do this, he would be her friend, for Sophie's sake, for Ginny's sake,

"Alright," he reached in to hug Ginny, it had been so long since he had held her, her hair smelt like honey always, it was something he never forgot, in all his travels if ever he smelt honey he would be drowning in memories of her, he made his way over to Sophie. He picked her up carefully,

"Make sure,"

"Her head, I have it," Ginny smiled,

"Right," she said shaking her head,

He just stared at her, and she at him, she was so tiny,

"You are the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen, be good to your mother while she studies," he looked up to Ginny, "If you need me to watch or anything like that, just owl me,"

"Thank you Harry, but I'll be fine; I have one exam left and I have done almost all the studying I need to do for it,"

"Okay well then, Sunday?"

"Sunday,"

He gave Sophie back to Ginny, kissing her on the forehead before he let her go completely, then walked to the door and left,

Ginny held Sophie close, she had done it, no more worrying about him accidentally finding out, and he was going with her to tell her parents

What would she tell them? What could she? After all is said and done they missed the birth of a grandchild. And she had been absent, hidden herself, would they recognize her? She hardly felt like she even recognized herself anymore.

She set Sophie in her lap, right after she had Sophie the nurse came in and taught her how to get breast milk in a not so painful fashion (as muggles do), so she had bottles in the ice box to help. However Sophie did not have strong appetite, this Ginny assumed was a trait she got from Harry. She had seen pictures from when he was younger, she remembered him when he was younger, he was basically a jumble of flaming limbs, according to Harry his father was the same way.

On the quite the opposite scale Ginny had the appetite of a teenage boy, it was because she grew up with big brothers. If she didn't hurry up and eat her food, she could be sure some one would eat it for her, and being the competitive person she was, she never let that happen.

She thumbed through The Daily Profit as Sophie cooed at her sliced up grapes, nothing seemed half as interesting when there wasn't a war going on. However she was sure that as soon as paper caught wind of the "child of the chosen one". She had held off letting anyone know for a long time, but it wouldn't be long after she told her family that the rest of the world would also know: She and Harry had an illegitimate daughter together. It seemed so scandalous when you thought of it like that.

Within the hour Sophie had been burped and put in bed

"Days like this make me wonder how I ever thought I would make it," she said stroking Sophie's belly, just looking at her, gave Ginny a peace she had only found with Harry those many years ago,

"Gin?" Ginny jumped

"Holy cricket!" she put her hand over her heart breathing heavily

"Sorry," Dane replied, followed by a giggly Julianne,

"How did everything go?" she asked now very serious

"Okay, he asked me to marry him," Dane's face went blank, Julianne's eyes got wide,

"And…." Julianne asked eagerly

"We have barely been friends over the last ten months, I told him we would work on that first, and then we would see about relationship,"

Dane nodded, "You don't want to rush into something like that, especially with Sophie,"

"That was reason number two, what kind of mother would I be if I knowingly cause her that kind of distress?"

"The kind that has been in love since she was ten?" Julianne added smirking, she always thought there was something so romantic about their story

"That was infatuation, real love takes time to grow," Dane said somewhat defensively

"And when it did it was toyed with for years, and led to many intoxicated nights in the common room"

The rest of the night continued in some what the same fashion, Dane was kind of quiet, Jules and Ginny however were having a lovely time exchanging stories from the school days.

The rest of the week came and went with the same agonizing realization that had been haunting Ginny for the past ten months, she would have to tell her parents. Would they be hurt? Of course they would she couldn't avoid that. Would they be ashamed? How would you feel if your daughter came to you with a child and no husband. Would they be angry? She spent so much time asking herself these questions she had convinced herself they would be furious.

Harry had been over most afternoons, for the most part he played with Sophie, letting Ginny study, or pack her things, or run any other errands that seemed to have alluded her. To her surprise Harry seemed to be handling the idea of friendship quite well, they had avoided the "us" topic, and primarily been discussing the anxiety that Sunday would bring.

Harry had a different belief of what her parents would say, they might be scandalized some what, however he said they loved her and they may be hurt but in the end all that would matter to them was that she was healthy, and they did have a beautiful grandchild. Harry had avoided thinking about what her brothers and father would do to him, he didn't want to think about it, he hadn't seen Ron since he'd found out, he had trouble even thinking about facing him.

Harry was worried primarily of the repercussions of what Sunday would bring. After they told the Weasley clan it wouldn't be long before the entire wizarding world became aware that the "Chosen One" had an offspring. They would ask why he didn't say anything, why it was kept so secret, what were they trying to hide. He didn't know what to say, somehow the truth seemed to harsh, Ginny hadn't told him because she didn't want to leave school and she wanted whatever it was between them to work itself out without adding the complication of a child. How do you explain that to a reporter who only wants to paint you as the poor unfortunate youth?

He had taken it upon himself to help Ginny save face, she didn't tell him for reasons only they could truly understand, it was private and telling her family was no way to keep it that way. He would tell them that they decided to keep it a secret in hopes that when they came to tell the family they would know more of what they wanted to do. Ginny wanted to stay in school and Harry traveled with the team throughout most of the year, and they had both been worried enough without piling on more stressors.

"Harry really you don't have to say that, this was my mess," Ginny said for the nine hundredth time

"No Ginny, you have carried this on your own long enough, besides this way no one can fault you for my ignorance about the situation," they had this conversation almost every time they talked.

"But Harry,"

"Really Ginny, you aren't going to win this argument," he said putting her trunks on the cart, Ginny huffed once and looked at Sophie who was giggling at something or another.

They stepped on the train, Harry awkwardly trying to situate himself as he walked down the corridors of the train with a car seat. They finally found an empty cart and took a seat. Ginny was exhausted aside from taking care of Sophie, she had stayed up almost all night packing up her flat for the summer. Her goodbyes to Dane and Jules took longer than she had originally anticipated, and she didn't get back until almost midnight, which gave her a grand total of five hours of sleep.

They placed Sophie on one side of the car snuggled tightly between a few bags, the train movement and sound were consistent enough to let her sleep quite soundly. Ginny nestled up in the corner, her head leaning up against the window as she started a nap.

Harry on the other hand couldn't sleep if he tried, he was so scared, so nervous, so apprehensive about the whole thing he could barely contain himself. It was all he could do to appear calm and collected.

His mind was reeling at what he was supposed to do or say to them, he looked over at Sophie, sound asleep wrapped tightly in the scarlet blanket, the cart jolted slightly, she didn't flinch. Ginny on the other hand started leaning toward Harry, he caught her soon enough to slow her down, her head rested in his lap, she was exhausted. That fire in her eyes was no where near as strong as what it used to be. She seemed so tired. The time at home would do her good. Mrs Weasley was sure to be a lot of help in taking care of Sophie. If the house got to crowded Harry had offered his flat for Ginny, he didn't have an extra room, but he could take the couch if it meant having Ginny near again.

He combed through her hair with his hands, her face seemed to relax at this. The train ride continued as such for the next hour or so. They arrived at a jolt to Kings Cross,

Ginny sat up quickly with a gasp, "Was I asleep?"

"Like a rock," Sophie had woken up, she was crying,

"Oh come here honey," Ginny said picking her up, Harry still got panicky when she cried,

"What's wrong?"

"She's probably hungry, could reach in my purse and get out her bottle?" Harry quickly dug through Ginny's purse, and came out with the bottle

"Here," he said now gathering up everything else, slighting her purse on her shoulder for her and leading the way to get off the train,

The drive to the Burrow was long, but as soon as they hit the countryside while Sophie seemed mesmerized by the greenery, Ginny looked like she was going to be sick.

"Its going to be fine Ginny," she bounced Sophie on her knee,

"Yeah, I know," they both knew she was lying but they stayed silent the rest of the trip, as they got closer she gripped her leg tighter, Harry reached over and grabbed her hand without even looking at her. She had forgotten how well he could put her at ease.

They could see the Burrow now in the distance. Ginny looked at herself in the mirror, and nodded.

"You ready?" she asked him with some uncertainty

"Ready as I'll ever be," he responded with a smug smile

They stopped the car and Harry unloaded all the luggage, Ginny lifted up Sophie and dusted her off, cleaning her face, and smiling at her tuft of black hair,

"You ready to meet your family sweet girl?" Sophie giggled and tugged at Ginny's hair.

"Lets go Gin," she nodded and let Harry lead the way,

Mrs. Weasley opened the door with a smile and a squeal,

"She's here! Oh hello Harry!" she added kissing him on the cheek, she grabbed his bags which allowed Ginny to step into the house and for them to see the surprise she was holding,

Mrs Weasley turned around and squealed again, "Who is this precious child?" taking Sophie from Ginny and cooing at her,

"She's our daughter," Ginny said, fighting back the urge to cry again

Mrs Weasley froze as Mr Weasley walked up behind her

"Whose this little one?" he said poking Sophie playfully in the belly

"She's our daughter" Harry repeated standing beside Ginny, Ginny reached over and took Sophie back,

"What? How? Why didn't?" they both took a seat at the kitchen table trying to soak in what they had just been told, Ginny sat across the table followed by Harry at her side,

"I found out right after I arrived at school in May, I didn't want anyone to worry,"

"I didn't find out until I went to visit before the season started," Harry interjected,

"We could have helped," Mrs. Weasley said desperately

"I wanted to stay in school and prove that I could, and I was scared," Harry took her by the hand again,

"We were having trouble and we wanted to work it out amongst ourselves, before we said anything,"

"So you two," Mr. Weasley said looking stern, "you are together now?" Harry let go of Ginny's hand

"No sir," Harry responded looking away,

"We want to be able to be friends before we attempt anything romantic and if we get involved we want to know it will last," Ginny said looking at Harry first then to her parents, then to Sophie, "For her sake we can't afford to be fickle anymore"

"So when was she…?" Mrs. Weasley asked looking at her granddaughter,

"December 25, 2000, Christmas night, she was early, by about a month and a half, but she's our healthy little girl now,"

"She has your eyes Ginny, and your unruly hair that she will certainly hate you for eventually," Mrs. Weasley laughed touching Sophie's cheek

"She is beautiful," Mr. Weasley said looking at Sophie, Ginny looked at both of them and the tears just started flowing,

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, I wanted to I was just, stupid," Mrs. Weasley got up and embraced her daughter,

"No Ginny dear, you had your reasons, I wish we would have known I could have helped, but you clearly can handle yourself just as you always have been able to," as they continued to have their moment Harry looked over at Mr. Weasley who was looking quite fondly at the two of them,

"Mr. Weasley," Harry said reaching out his hand,

"Come over here Harry," he said motioning Harry to come into the next room,

"Mr. Weasley--", Harry started

"Let me," Harry nodded, "I have always considered you a part of this family, you have had a place on our clock since you left Hogwarts after your seventh year,"

"And Mr. Weasley I appreciate that so much, I love Ginny, over the past ten months I have tried to get past it, but I realized I don't want to, I want to marry her, I want to make our family whole,"

"I also know my daughter and I know that she can take care of herself, its part of what being brought up with all boys will do to a girl. As her father though must tell you, you are now forever bonded to this family, and you have a responsibility to your family, to make them come first, above everything,"

"Yes sir, just so you know I didn't take advantage of her or--" Mr. Weasley laughed and shook his head

"You're a good man Harry and I don't want to know anything besides that" Harry got up and walked back to the front of the house with Mr. Weasley,

"So you are planning on staying here this summer right?" Mrs. Weasley asked wiping away her own tears,

"Yes, if that's all right"

"Of course it is dear! Tonight we are having a big dinner, you can share the news with the family then,"

"Oh yes," Mr. Weasley said, "Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and I believe George is bringing his current girlfriend Susan?" he said turning his head toward Mrs. Weasley,

"That will be interesting," Harry said smiling and also a little worried as to what his best friend would say at the news,

"Don't worry Harry, I won't let them kill you," Ginny said smiling at him, he had forgotten what that was like, he hadn't seen her smile like that in a very long time, "I need to go put Sophie down for a nap. Harry could you help me get my trunks upstairs?"

He nodded and followed her,

"He loves her," Mr. Weasley said as a matter of factly

"She's stubborn and scared" Mrs. Weasley said with a smile,

"They are going to be okay," Mr. Weasley added

* * *

Okay so it took me a long time to get that one out. It was really hard because I have been stressed with stressed with schools. I hope you guys are happy with the chapter and the way it unveiled, the next chapter… the weasley brother's will find out… it should be fun.

So a lot of you are ticked off about Harry's response... i thought i should explain myself. In my mind after Harry finally defeats Voldemort he realizes whats important in life, and Ginny through it all has been there for him, she was always his accountable person, always there waiting for him to be ready. When teh separated it was the first time she took a stand for herself and did something she wanted. And when Harry finds out ab Sophie, he is looking at her, shes not in the other room, he can't be mad, he's hurt obviously, but he is looking directly at a life he helped create. He is almost numb at first, Ginny doesnt want them to be together because point blank she is numb to him at this point to.

They have spent ten months being angry and frustrated with each other, its not gonna happen just like that. Ginny treated him poorly she recognizes that, she knows that, but for years Harry treated her like the expendable friend, the one he could leave and go do other things and come back and she was just waiting, and she started feeling that all she ever did was wait for him. Ginny isn't the type of girl to spend her whole life sitting and waiting for a boy. Even if that boy is Harry. Harry has matured, you guys hav to remember after he defeated Voldemort he spent time running around with the Ministry catching the rest of dark wizards. Nothing with them has ever been easy and beautiful for an extended time. I know you guys are playin pity party for Harry, and he is acting SAINTLY... however realize he did a lot of things in the past to Ginny that weren't too kind either. Harry is a guy of conviction and he will follow his convictions no matter what. And he will go after what he wants no matter how many blockers stand in his way.

PS. Keep the victims of the Virginia Tech Massacre in your thoughts and prayers, here at A&M we don't wear maroon and orange together on principle (our rivalry with t.u) however today… it was different that could have been any school, any campus… always take the time to tell people you love em. Live your life as you, don't attempt to be anyone but who you are for anyone, because life is far far to short.


	15. Here it comes

Due to your disappointment with the last chapter I hope you like this one more…

* * *

"That went better than I expected," Ginny said in almost disbelief, 

"It did." Harry confirmed

He looked around the room, lots of memories his eyes fell most specifically on the bed, where this whole thing had started. In the days when he swore it would be like that forever. The days when the secrets were only the ones he would disclose. After Voldemort, all the darkness he had withheld from everyone (including his best friends), all the darkness only he could truly understand, he had dismissed it, and after he caught what would be the last of Voldemort's followers he had begun to look at life differently.

He had felt they were growing distant, he saw her sporadically in their last few months "together", and she seemed worn from it all. That's why he had brought the ring the day of graduation, he hoped it would ignite the fire that used to burn so passionately for them. Yet she had turned the tables, and for the first time she told him to wait.

Now here they were a year later and everything had changed. Ginny was not exactly the girl he remembered, she was stern and wise, turning more like her mother everyday.

He looked over to Sophie, he wouldn't think about the anger right now. He wouldn't focus as to why she never said anything, why she kept the birth of his first child from him, or how in the hell she could think that it would all be okay. He was angry, he was furious, but something he had learned over the past few years was that anger does not help anyone. To yell at Ginny would accomplish nothing except to let off steam, and he didn't need to do that in front of Sophie, she deserved better.

"You okay?" Ginny asked unpacking her clothes, rocking Sophie in her safety seat when she could,

"Fine, I think I'm going to go on a walk I need some fresh air," Harry looking unsure for the first time in a while

"Okay," Ginny responded smiling, "I'm glad everybody knows now and tonight, it will be fun, it will," she was trying to convince herself but she wasn't to certain it would be.

Hermione knew, Harry would pretend to know, and Ron wouldn't… what would Harry say when he found out Hermione had known and didn't tell him, or that she didn't tell Ron.

"Ginny dear," her mom said stepping into the room quietly, "Here, your father pulled it out of storage," she set the shrunken wooden crib on the floor and transfigured it to a more suitable size,

"Thank you so much," Ginny said picking up Sophie to place her into the crib,

"We wouldn't have been angry," Mrs Weasley said as she was turning to leave, "We wouldn't have been proud, but we would have been okay," Ginny hadn't moved, she had been facing the wall,

"I just, for the longest time I didn't want to believe it myself. I left because I wanted to prove that I could stand on my own, that I could do something on my own terms and I am doing well mom, really well, the dean told me if I keep this up I could hold a place on any international defense team I chose," Mrs. Weasley nodded still not looking like she understood,

"It would have been nice to know dear, that's all" and with that she left, Mrs. Weasley had never been one to experience things quietly, yet this was not something she expected from Ginny, even though she apologized it didn't change how betrayed she felt, as though Ginny had feared they wouldn't care for her anymore. What kind of parent put that fear into their child? Had she and Arthur become the parents they had tried to be devoid of becoming their entire lives?

That was just it they hadn't and Ginny still felt she couldn't trust anyone, she had kept it all to herself, it was almost selfish when she really thought about it. She dismissed the thoughts from her mind and proceeded to finish cooking dinner for her family.

* * *

Ginny had sorted through most of her clothes, and there in the bottom of her suitcase was the picture that had sat face down in the drawer by her bed. The picture of she and Harry on his eighteenth birthday, he had finally defeated Voldemort, and come back to Ginny for what she thought was going to be forever. That was the night that they had taken things farther than they had ever before, the night they didn't hold back. 

She remembered waking up the next morning feeling different, there was a need for him she couldn't explain, she wanted to drink him in, feel him all around her, and when she left in September the feelings didn't change.

She spent her days somewhat distracted, finishing her schoolwork with Luna usually she would fall asleep waiting for her daily letter from Harry, sometimes they were brief, sometimes they were long, and sometimes they didn't come.

By the time December had come she was miserable, and over the Holidays things hadn't changed, Harry was doing work, visiting Ron when he could, and usually late in the evening he would come see Ginny. It had scared her, she knew he loved her but during the holidays whenever they were together they would talk for a while, and then… she couldn't even bring herself to think it. Not to say she didn't want to but she didn't want it to become all they did. It was then that the need for him somewhat distanced itself from her.

After the holidays she had received the letter of invitation from the International Defense League (as well as a number of other organizations). She had at first thought it was a pleasant offer but she probably had a ministry job waiting for her in close coordinates with Harry. However as the year progressed she had meetings with McGonagall who was very adamant that Ginny follow through with her potential and greatly consider the offers she was being given, offers that were not likely to surface again.

That was when she began to see just how much she had changed, she had become one of those girls who sits around and waits for a boy, one of those girls who has become so wrapped up in another person's life they fail to remember what is important to them. She looked at herself in the mirror that night and cried, for the first time since Sirius had died she just cried.

From that point on she had vowed to work hard, and let the chips fall where they may. She knew Harry could feel the distance growing between them, his letters had remained the same length but they weren't daily anymore, when he came to visit he would help her with her schoolwork before they… well, and afterwards, they would lay there in silence.

No words needed to be said, for the silence had spoken for itself in those last months.

* * *

Harry looked out to the countryside. He had found this spot after his third year when he wanted to write Sirius. Up until he had spoken to Mr. Weasley Harry had put all of his anger aside, up until then he had kept his cool, up until then he acted like it was all going to be okay. 

But it wasn't, Ginny was right, things had always been hard, and she had just made them harder. Why didn't she tell him? Why hadn't she written him or come to see him? Why wasn't he there to see Sophie come into the world? Would he ever really be able to forgive her for that?

He hated this, he had stopped being angry for a long time. She had messed it all up, there was no way to repair it, how was this going to happen?

"Harry?" it was Ginny,

"Yes?" he asked coldly

"You're not fine," she stated sitting next to him,

"No, I guess I'm not,"

"Want to talk about it?" her voice was a little shakey

"It's broken," was all he said staring at the ground in front of him,

"What do you mean?" she was scared now,

"Us, this, I though I could forgive you and see past all of this, I thought that I could be that bigger man but I can't. I missed the birth of my CHILD. MY CHILD GINNY! All I have ever wanted since I was old enough to know what it was I have wanted a family of my own to love. And since the day I kissed you in the common room I wanted that family with you," angry tears were starting to stream through his otherwise dry eyes,

"Harry we can still,"

"No Ginny, we cant you ROBBED ME, of those memories I cant have back, all of my hopes of building a solid family with you and me and a home somewhere that we could build not only a home but pieces of us, those hopes are shattered," he was standing now, not exactly yelling, but not speaking in soft tones either, Ginny nodded refusing to cry, she didn't deserve to,

"How can I trust you? How can we fix this? Tell me and I'll try but I don't see it. And the worst part is: you were it. For me you were everything and I don't know how I could ever feel that way about anyone again, even for you, you broke it, you broke us," Ginny nodded her breaths becoming uneven

"We were tearing long before I made the rip," she said still fighting back the tears, "You knew it too, I know you did, that's why I ran, I wanted to get away I didn't want to be there when it all fell apart," that was when the angry tears stopped

"For Sophie's sake, we are going to be friends, if we can, but its going to take a LONG time before we can pick up the pieces to whatever it was we used to have. Until then we are going to be amicable, to your parents, to your family, and even to Ron and Hermione who will kill us when they find out that we didn't tell them," Ginny nodded, standing up slowly,

"This has been a long goodbye," she inhaled quickly, "I guess its time we faced it," her face was tight, she was biting her lip, and then walked back up to her room,

Harry turned his back, he didn't watch her leave, he stood up and walked further away until he tripped on a rock,

"Aw bloody hell!" he picked it up and through it as far as he could, he just kept shaking his head, "Accio Firebolt!" and within a few minutes, there it was, he got on and flew, and flew, and flew, until all he could feel was the wind. He vowed that when he landed, he would put it behind him and move forward.

The sun was setting and it was time for him to go back, and as he got closer and closer to the ground he felt everything getting lighter, the pain seemingly ripped away.

He landed just as Ron and Hermione arrived, followed shortly by the rest of the Weasley clan. Just as everyone gathered Harry went upstairs, he knocked on the door to Ginny's room,

"They're here" was all he said

"I'll be right there, Sophie is napping for now," she spoke the words quickly so he couldn't here how much it pained her

"I'll wait" she opened the door, her face looked clear, she looked fresh in a sundress she had bought years ago,

"Lets go," she said simply, they walked down the stairs, Harry cleared his throat,

"We wanted to wait until you all arrived," he said looking at all of her brothers, "We have some news," he said forcing a smile,

"What you two finally done shagging and are getting married?" George said laughing, Mr Weasley darted a look,

"No George," Ginny said almost glaring, "Harry and I have a daughter," the room went silent with blank stares, "I found out this summer, and she was born on Christmas,"

Harry stared right back at all of them, "Sophie Evan Potter,"

"We wanted to tell you but there just hasn't been a time when you are all together, and we had to work some things out,"

"What in the bloody hell do you mean you had things to work out! Harry I'm your best mate and you knocked up my sister and didn't have the guts to tell me!" Ginny looked scared, she didn't want to cause a rift between them she really didn't

"I'm sorry Ron, this was something she- we wanted to keep quiet," Harry stated blankly

"And for good reason, pretty soon the whole world will know how the chosen one knocked up a Weasley, didn't marry her, and how they have an illegitimate child and are living fancily in a two bedroom in downtown London," George laughed, no one else did, Fred stared at Harry,

"We have always considered you to be a part of this family Harry, you could have at least had the respect to tell us, to come to us as a MAN and tell us,"

"And I'm your sister, and I didn't even want to tell Harry much less have him tell you, I made him SWEAR he wouldn't, but he wanted to," Ginny snapped at her brother

"It just isn't right," Charlie said shaking his head, taking Fleur's hand into the next room over,

"Look I know this bloody sucks, this whole situation, I realize that and so does Harry, but I haven't done much in my life to make you guys ashamed of me and we have been handling this for almost a year on our own, and don't need you guys to be a part of our daughters life! We just thought you might like to be," and with that Ginny ran back up to her room, Harry didn't follow,

"I'm sorry," he said, "We messed up, but we want to make it right," George was the first to step forward and shake Harry's hand,

"Alright lad," he said solemnly

"I don't know," Fred said shaking Harry's hand

Bill was the only one who really hadn't spoken, he stepped forward,

"You always knew how to take care of her better than we did," he nodded at Harry and shook his hand

Harry looked at his best friend, he looked like he didn't even know him,

"I told you to go for it with Claire, no wonder you felt so conflicted it, the little woman and baby were at home so what did it matter. Every time you looked at me, every- you lied to me,"

"I'm sorry Ron," was all that Harry would say

"YOU'RE SORRY! YOU KNOCK UP MY SISTER AND DON'T TELL ME AND YOU ARE SORRY?" Hermione was looking frazzled

"Ron, please,"

"No Hermione! Why aren't you more angry? They lied to you too!"

"Ron I don't think we understand the whole story here," she said now looking at Harry, who was taken aback at this,

"Hermione what do you,"

"Nothing Harry, I just… I don't think this is something you wouldn't tell us if you could," Hermione was more insightful than Harry had remembered,

"Your right," was all he said,

"Then what! What is going on?!?!"

"Later Ron, just calm down and we will discuss this privately," Hermione said nodding at Harry,

Ron stormed off to the dining room with Hermione in tow, Harry looked upstairs, he wouldn't go after her this time, he couldn't.

Harry sat quietly in one of the pair of seats near the end of the table where a seat for Sophie was waiting.

"Ginny dear! Dinner!" she didn't respond to her mother's call but a few minutes later she could be heard coming down,

Sophie was in her pajamas, scarlet with brooms, she was always happy when she woke up and didn't get hungry until about an hour later, so Ginny had time before she had to feed her, but a good excuse to leave the table.

Ginny sat down next to Sophie and near her mother, she didn't say a word except to her mother and Sophie. Harry barely looked at her, Ron glared at both of them.

"So true story, I had ice cream today," George started, "It was blue, yellow, and red, and I mean** BLUE, YELLOW, AND RED**. And I went to the loo today, and I had blue poop,"

The whole table burst into laughter, even Ginny broke a smile, and looked at George as if to say thank you.

"She's beautiful," Bill said looking at both Harry and Ginny,

"Yeah, she really is," Harry agreed looking at his daughter and holding fingers with her, Ginny looked pained,

"So what will you do about school?" Charlie asked somewhat timidly,

"Sophie will stay with me at school, I have a house elf to help while I'm in classes and Jules and Dane are over all the time to help when I need it," Harry seemed to sneer at the thought of other people being closer to his child than he was,

"I bought flat nearby," Harry added, "I will live there during the off season, and when the season starts I will come and see Sophie as much as possible," Ginny wasn't sure if anyone else noted that he said Sophie not "them".

"So you will be here for the summer?" piped up Fred's date Susan who up until now hadn't said much,

"Yes," Ginny responded trying to smile,

The family continued eating making light conversation, when Sophie started looking uncomfortable Ginny took her first chance to leave the table. She took Sophie upstairs where the bottles were waiting.

Ron had begun to notice an awkwardness between Harry and Ginny which is why he had gone from being fiercely mad, to just angry. While Hermione, she was just baffled as to what to say to either of them.

Harry took this opportunity to leave,

"Well, it was good seeing you all," he looked at Ron more specifically, then headed upstairs to say goodbye to Sophie before he left, Ginny was burping her,

"I'm leaving, I'll owl you tomorrow as to when I'm coming to pick her up," Ginny was surprised,

"Pick her up?"

"I want time alone with her too Ginny, she is my daughter too,"

"But I, fine I'll owl you when she goes down for her afternoon nap, it usually lasts for about three hours and then you can take her,"

"Alright," he said looking down at Sophie,

"You get to be with your Daddy tomorrow sweet girl," she smiled at his words, "Bye," he said quickly before leaving.

Ginny picked up her daughter and held her close, "It's broken…"

"Ginny?" it was Ron,

"Yes?" she was not happy to see him,

"What is going on? Why didn't you tell us?" Hermione followed behind him looking very guilty,

"I didn't tell anyone, Harry found out earlier this **WEEK**," Ron was startled yet again

"But you guy said," Ron was getting confused

"He said that because that is what he wanted to tell people, so I wouldn't catch all the heat, but he didn't know Ron,"

"How could you keep this from him? Is that why things are off between you?" he said now looking at Sophie

"For good. Things are off with us for good. He won't be able to forgive me for this one," she looked hurt, and Ron looked uncomfortable

"Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you didn't tell him about his kid," Ginny just let her eyes bore into him,

"I should have, but that doesn't help me now does it Ronald, now please leave my room,"

"Ginny, he-" Hermione started,

"No Hermione, he's right, I just want to be alone," Hermione nodded and they both left

That was it, she just wanted to be alone, and that was what she had wanted in the beginning; to be alone. Now that she was… she didn't know what she wanted, but it wasn't this, she never wanted this.

* * *

I know they say if you love somebody  
You should set them free  
But it sure is hard to do  
It sure is hard to do 

I know they say if it _dont_ come back again  
Then its meant to be  
Those words dont pull me through  
_Cause Im still in love with you_

I spend each day here waiting for a miracle  
Its just you and me going through the mill  
Climbing up a hill

This is a long goodbye  
Somebody tell me why  
Two lovers in love cant make it  
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?  
No matter how hard I try  
I always make you cry  
**Come on baby its over  
Lets face it  
All thats happening here is a long goodbye**

Sometimes I ask my heart  
Did we really give our love a chance?  
But I know without a doubt  
We turned it inside out  
And if we walked away would it make more sense  
But it tears me up inside  
Just to think we still could try

How long must we keep running on a carousel?  
Going round and round and never getting anywhere  
On a wing and prayer

"The Long Goodbye" – Brooks and Dunn (stories namesake)

I hope this chapter made up for some of yalls disappointment in the last one. ;-) Next chapter Ginny and Harry cope with being "amicable" and mistakes will be made….


	16. Keep Moving Forward

"Harry," Claire said putting her hand over her mouth,

"I know," he said looking at Sophie in his arms, "She's beautiful right?"

"I never, when, who?" she said her hand still over her mouth,

"She's mine, mine and Ginny's that's why she didn't want to see me, that's why she was hiding, she didn't want me to know," Claire's brow furrowed

"How could she not tell you?"

"I don't know, and I am done pretending its okay and that I care,"

"Are you sure?" Claire asked wondering where this was leading,

"Yes, I tried to remember when the last time I felt really happy was, and it was with you, and I told you that I couldn't do it, but for the first time in years, I'm free and now that I'm free the only thing I wan to do is be with you," Claire looked at him intently, trying to read his eyes,

"You had your chance Harry,"

"And I blew it, I had baggage, and I wasn't fair to you, but that baggage, those skeletons, they are unpacked and out of the closet and all I am left wanting is you," she was still hesitant

"This is going to take time Harry," He smiled, not really opening his mouth, but in away that made her feel like he really was happy,

"I can take that time," this was when she let the smile creep across her face

"And you thought that by bringing your kid you would cute points?" he laughed,

"I figured it wouldn't hurt," he had missed her,

"Can I hold her?" he smiled and nodded,

"Of course,"

She looked down at Sophie, and ran her fingers over her head,

"She is going to hate you for this unruly hair," he put his arm around your shoulder, she closed her eyes and could almost feel her body shudder, he looked down and kissed her forehead,

"I will make it all up to you, I promise," Claire nodded, she wasn't foolish, she knew not to just assume he was telling the truth, to just assume that he would fall for her as she had fallen for him. She knew there was a part of his heart that she would never see, but it was in the way they spent nights like this, and the way he was able to knock the pessimist in her out and make her believe in something greater.

* * *

Harry had taken Sophie for the weekend. It was the first time Ginny had really been away from her since she was born. She was worried wanting to check up every five minutes except for the fact that Harry wasn't talking to her.

Dane and Jules had written her letters but she still wasn't feeling like herself.

Hermione had opted to take Ginny out for the night, they would go to a local pub. Ron had protested at first, but those never last long. Ron still hadn't exactly forgiven Ginny but he wasn't about to forbid his wife from visiting her best friend.

"Ginny we are supposed to leave in fifteen minutes!" Ginny just looked at her, she had got out of the shower and put on jeans and a t shirt,

"And I'm ready," Hermione glared,

"You are not wearing that," she walked to Ginny's closet and pulled out a slinky black top, then walked over to her jewelry box and picked out a pair of simple stud earrings,

"Put it on," Ginny rolled her eyes, and decided it wasn't worth it to put up a fight,

"Why are we doing this?" Hermione didn't answer, she hadn't said much to Ginny about anything aside from trying to cheer her up, and they didn't really approach the problem,

"Because you need to put a smile on, you haven't been out since Sophie was born, and I don't like mopey dopey Ginny, I am even beginning to pine for intoxicated Ginny," Ginny smirked

"Are you condoning me drinking tonight?" Ginny asked now smiling,

"I'm just saying I like her more than mopey you," Ginny laughed, she looked at herself in the mirror, she hadn't gotten dolled up like this in ages.

Hermione and Ginny arrived at Pub Owl a little unsure. Hermione was displaying her wedding ring with pride while Ginny's mind was some where else.

They drank fire whiskey, a few shots and some good old fashioned beer. Ginny was coming back to her old self it seemed,

"Mione, you 'er my best friend, and the only one who get 'zis,"

"Your drunk,"

"You've been keebin' up right?"

"No I stopped after a fire whiskey, shot, and a sip of that nasty beer you have been chugging all night,"

"Damn, I'm going to the loo," Hermione nodded and looked over at her friend, she wasn't going to lie to herself, she felt somewhat responsible for the fall of Harry and Ginny ousting Harry like she did.

Ginny stumbled out of the bathroom and back to the bar,

"Can I 'ave a water?" as she waited she noticed a beautiful boy with curly blonde hair staring in her direction, she glared and looked back at the bar keep until she felt his eyes following her from a closer range,

"Can I help you with something?" she said taking her water and attempting to open it,

He just shook his head, so she shook her in exasperation and continued to try to open her bottle,

"Can I help you?" she nodded and handed him the bottle, he opened it quickly and handed it back,

"Thank you," she got a closer look at him, now his eyes weren't blue but more of a deep green,

"Daniel," he said reaching out his hand, "Daniel Curtis,"

"Good to meet you," she said shaking his hand and turning to go back to Hermione,

"Don't I get a name?" he yelled out over the Weird Sisters,

"Nope," she said smiling back

He laughed and turned back to the bar and Ginny walked back to she and Hermione's table.

"So with all this shit in meh-life, I forgets to ask you howz married life?" Hermione blushed,

"Its good, really good actually, he is very sweet, a little hard to handle but sometimes he surprises me with little things and its just sweet," Ginny eyed Hermione who was still blushing profusely,

"Howz everything elze working out?" Hermione almost looked scandalized,

"Ginny really!" Ginny sat back,

"You can tell me, right now I'm your slutty friend who got preggers and had a baby,"

"You are not a slut Ginny,"

"Well lez just say for now that I am, you can tell me… you should share these m'ments with somebody,"

"At first it was a little eager on both of our parts, but its getting better," she was trying to be as discrete as possible

"Yah," was all Ginny said she was starting to come down from her original high,

"I actually need to get back,"

"Right, I think I'm going to get water to zober up a bit b'fore I go back to the burrow,"

"Good idea, I'll wait with you," Hermione said looking down at her watch

"No, I'll be fine really, I'm sobering up, get back to Ron,"

"Well, I just-"

"Go 'Mione, I'll be fine,"

"Okay well, owl me when you get back,"

"Yes mother," she reached over to hug her friend before she left,

Ginny was getting quiet, and beginning the pity party of her drunkenness, she didn't feel like having people she cared about around for that.

She walked up to the bar for her water,

"Another water," then she heard a voice from behind,

"Thirsty much?" it was Daniel,

"Yes?" she grabbed her water and walked outside the bar but before she could walk to far she sat on a bench. She didn't want to go home yet, not like this, not before she had gotten through the rough part of this drunkenness

She watched as one by one people filed out of the pub, some with companions, others alone, most of them seemed happy, but she found herself in the minority who felt lost.

She was nineteen years old, with what used to be such a promising future, and now she was alone on the street.

"Hey Red," she looked up wiping the tears away quickly, it was him again,

"Look now really isn't a good time,"

"That's why I thought I'd check on you, you were hitting the bottle up pretty hard tonight,"

"I haven't had anything to drink in almost a year," she snapped

"Really?"

"Yes it is frowned upon when you find yourself pregnant," his face changed, "Yes I have a little girl, whose father has her tonight, and he isn't speaking to me because I am a heartless deceitful bitch," she was fighting back tears again, biting her lip

"Oh come on give yourself some credit, I'm sure you were conniving as well," he said with a sly smile, she allowed herself to laugh briefly,

"I bet I was too, I mean go 'ard or go 'ome right?" she stood up, "I need home, I mean I need to go home,"

"Where do you live?" he said trying to brace her wobbly stance,

"On the uh, um the uh- village edge?," her head was spinning she couldn't exactly see straight, she attempted to walk but was barely managing a stumble

"How about I walk you to my place, have a lie down," she slapped his hands as they started helping her up

"I may have a baby but I don't let just anybody get in my knickers you, you, if I was sober I- well not now" she was beginning to feel hazy the world was seemingly blurred,

"I won't even look at you, now come on just a ways over," she could barely function now,

"Yeah okay lets- okay," he held her up as he walked her down the street to his flat,

"Alright, its just up here," Ginny turned to look at him,

"Your so nice, so nice, I don't deserve niceness," she said nodding off again

"Oh sure you do," she shook her head slowly,

"No I don't"

He fumbled with the keys, opening the door and flipping on the lights,

"Here why don't you go to the bathroom clean up a bit?" she was tired she just wanted to fall over,

"Fine,"

He hurried over to the bed, made it look presentable, then grabbed a t shirt and athletic shorts. He then made his way over to the bathroom,

"Here you can change into these," he cracked the door and threw them in, after putting on his own night clothes. He had never done this before, okay so that was a lie but he had never done it for a complete stranger without any other intentions.

He brushed his teeth and stood outside the bathroom, she opened the door slowly and then collapsed in his arms.

"Alright sleepy lets get you in bed," she was mumbling something he couldn't make out

He placed her in his bed and threw the covers over her; he then went into his living area and pulled out a blanket on the couch.

He fell asleep fairly quickly, he hadn't drank much that night. Those days were over, for a while after he and Karen had first broken up he had found himself getting drunk beyond all recognition and waking up with a different woman every morning. He wasn't proud of it and it wasn't a time he would ever go back to if it presented itself.

He recognized sad drunks when he saw them, and that's what this girl was, just a sad drunk in need of a little kindness from a stranger.

It was morning or maybe it was afternoon, whatever time it was her head was pounding and she did not recognize where she was. She could here a man's voice in the background. She saw her clothes at the end of the bed, she put them on and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror she looked about twice as bad as she felt.

She took a deep breath and opened the door to the bedroom,

"Good afternoon," she winced,

"Daniel right?" he smiled and nodded handing a coffee to her,

"I never did get your name,"

"Ginny, Weasley, Ginny Weasley," he nodded

"Good to know,"

"So last night did we, um you know,"

"Have sex?" he said bluntly, her face turned bright red, "I hope not because if so I am not as memorable as I once thought," she took a deep breath

"Thank God," she took a seat at the table, "Then why am I here,"

"Well when you couldn't rightly tell me where you lived I figured you would be safer here than somewhere else," she smiled,

"Thanks," she still looked uncomfortable,

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you drinking?"

"Because I wanted to," she said defensively

"Right, sorry because everyone loves getting falling down drunk and waking up at a stranger's house,"

"I find it widens my social range,"

"Right," he laughed, "So what'd he do?"

"Nothing," she was now turned away,

"Mine cheated on me," she looked back at him, "When I drank like that, she cheated on me,"

"I had our baby and didn't tell him," he nodded,

"What'd he do?"

"Said he would love our daughter but he could never look at me the same,"

"It will get better," she nodded

"Of course it will,"

"No really, it will, your allowed to be sad, just remember you have other things in your life to care about,"

"Sophie,"

"Who?"

"That's her name, my daughter," all of a sudden she was incredibly alarmed, "What time is it?!"

"2:30,"

"BLOODY HELL! I need to go. I am supposed to be at the burrow to get Sophie back in a half hour," Daniel looked perplexed,

"Well, sorry for being so blunt but can I take you out for coffee sometime," Ginny rolled her eyes,

"Really you don't want to do that, I'm sorry, I am in no place to date,"

"Well no offense but I never said date, I said coffee," she smiled

"I might fit in a coffee," she was gathering her stuff together, "Thanks again,"

"Newt Shoppe? Tomorrow night at eight?" Ginny nodded,

"I'll see you then,"

"Bye," and with a quick indistinctive pop she was gone.

Harry was running late, Sophie had slept longer than usual and he wasn't exactly sure how everything fit into the diaper bag Ginny had packed.

Ginny arrived at the burrow and found Hermione waiting on her bed.

"Where in the hell have you been!" Hermione whispered loudly, "You said you were going home I came here to check on you and now you show up in the clothes you had on last night! WHAT HAPPENED?!?!" Hermione was panting now

"I was really drunk, this guy took me home and I slept at his place," Hermione's mouth dropped,

"You mean you?" Ginny looked scandalized

"No! He gave me clothes and let me sleep it off. Now could you please let me get in the shower so I can try to wash off the smell of liquor?"

"Do you at least no this blokes name,"

"Uh its Daniel something, Daniel Courts?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders

"I'm not really sure it was a long night, we are having coffee at Newt's at eight," Hermione's eyes widened

"A date?"

"No, just coffee," Ginny hopped in the shower, she had maybe thirty minutes before she would see Harry.

Ginny got out of the shower tied her hair up, and managed to put on some loose fitting jeans and a t-shirt.

"Ginny dear, Harry is here with Sophie," her mother called, Ginny bounded down the stairs, but was not prepared for what she saw,

It was Harry and Sophie as her mother had said, but what she didn't mention was the young woman at Harry's side.

"Well Harry you and Claire are welcome to stay for dinner," Mrs. Weasley said doing her best to put on a smile and pretend that she didn't feel a pang of sadness seeing another girl at Harry's side,

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, but we have reservations tonight," Harry said,

"It was so kind of you to invite us though," Claire piped up, Ginny slowly made her way to the room,

"Hi, I'm Ginny," Ginny said reaching a hand out to Claire, "You must be Claire, Harry has told me wonderful things about you," Harry looked surprised, Ginny reached over for Sophie, "How was she?"

"Good, she slept longer than usual," Harry said looking directly at Sophie,

"Okay,"

"I'll be picking her up Wednesday afternoon," Harry said kissing Sophie on the head,

"She'll be ready at two, it was nice meeting you Claire," Ginny added, taking Sophie into the living area where her play things were.

Harry gave Mrs. Weasley a hug and opened up the door for Claire.

As they walked to the apparition point neither of them spoke, until Claire finally said it,

"Ginny seemed nice," Harry shot a look at her,

"I don't want to talk about her," Claire nodded,

"Okay,"

* * *

Ginny set Sophie in her carrier and walked over to her dresser. She looked at herself in the mirror, she used to be one people considered beautiful, and it was as though that girl was looking at her another's eyes. She was tired, she looked it, but when she looked over at Sophie her eyes seemed to warm.

She dabbed make up on her eyes, allowing it to accent her features in such a way that made her feel more mature than she was. She took her hair down, and ran a comb through it, it didn't look good, she pulled it back up in an attempt to look elegant. She looked like a mom, and right now that was okay. She played with Sophie for the next couple of hours. Dinner came and Sophie ate and went to sleep soon after, Ginny did her best to not look to anxious for eight 'o' clock to come.

By seven thirty Sophie had been asleep for an hour, and was out for the night, yet she was not about to ask her parents to babysit. She put Sophie in her child carrier and made her way to the apparition point.

"_Dormio_," she said waving her wand at the carrier so Sophie wouldn't feel the affects of apparation as strongly as she would have had the spell not been performed.

Ginny sat in a corner of the shop so Sophie would hear the least amount possible, she pulled the shade over the carrier and faced it to the wall checking almost every five minutes that Sophie was okay.

"Hello," she heard from behind her, she stood up, unsure of what she was supposed to do,

"Hi," he made his way to the seat across from her, "what kind of coffee did you order?"

"No caffeine for me, I need to sleep when she sleeps," she said pointing down at Sophie, Daniel looked surprised,

"You brought her with you?"

"She is my responsibility, I haven't seen her much because she was with her dad, and she is mine to take care of, not my parent's" he nodded

"I can respect that," she laughed,

"Probably be more respectable if I hadn't gotten pregnant in the first place,"

"Matter of opinion," he shrugged,

"So what do you do?" he looked confused, "Do you work? Go to school?" he shook his head

"No I really just help my dad out," Ginny now was the confused one, "What about you?"

"I'm in training for the International Defense Team Auror Program," he was impressed,

"Wow, how old are you? I mean I know people who have been trying to get into that program for years"

"I'm nineteen," again he looked shocked,

"You must have had some impressive credentials,"

"I was pretty involved in the final battle and the events leading up to it," he looked confused… again, "Okay something you should know about me, my brother is best friend's with Harry Potter, has been since their first year at Hogwarts,"

"Weasley! I thought I recognized that name, you and he dated for a while didn't you," she nodded

"For the better part of two years until the beginning of last summer," he was trying to process it all,

"Harry, is Sophie's father, he is the reason I passed out at your place last night,"

"Weird," was all Daniel said, Ginny eyed him,

"Thank you?"

"No I just mean, all my life 'Harry Potter' has just been a name, I mean its just sometimes it doesn't even seem like he could be real," she shrugged

"He is, trust me," Daniel smiled, "Now that we are on the subject who was that girl you were talking about this morning?"

"Karen. We dated for a year and a half, I proposed after a year, and then I caught her in bed with my best friend,"

"Oh, that's painful,"

"Yeah, I haven't seen either of them since, and if I have, I have pretended not to,"

"Harry brought his girlfriend to drop Sophie off," Ginny said stirring her straw in the hot chocolate, Daniel nodded, "I mean I don't want to be in a relationship with him at all, its still just weird,"

"I understand," he paused, "Would it be too forward to say you look beautiful tonight?"

"Maybe, but it's always nice to hear that,"

"Well you do,"

"You're still not getting in my knickers," she laughed,

"Aw bloody hell, that means I am going to call Janie Jugs on 32nd Street," Ginny laughed again, "It's okay I'm a regular, which means there is a discount,"

"You are just too classy for words," Ginny added shaking her head

"Well I was educated past primary school," Daniel smiled at her,

And so the conversation went, it was one 'o' clock in the morning before they realized how late it was, Sophie hadn't made a sound and was still sleeping peacefully. There was something in his confidence that drew Ginny in. He was easy with his words, she couldn't remember having this much fun talking to someone since Harry.

"Its late, and I need to get some sleep before she has her three am feeding," Daniel smiled,

"Of course," he reached over to hug her, "How would you feel about dinner at Sargiano's tomorrow night?"

"I have Sophie," Ginny stated simply,

"Does she have something against Italian food?" she was surprised, "What time is good for her?" Ginny beamed,

"5:30?" he nodded,

"I'll be looking forward to it Miss Weasley,"

Ginny picked up Sophie and left Newt's with a renewed sense of self. All she could think about was how easy it was. How his curls hung elegantly in his face and the way his eyes looked at her with warmth.

She was headed into uncharted territory and not knowing where this led is what made it the most charming of all.

* * *

Harry spent all of the previous night with Claire, staying up just talking. She had gone to sleep around two, but Harry had stayed awake just watching her. When he looked at her, he didn't ache, it didn't hurt. It was so refreshing to have feelings for someone who cared for him openly without fear.

* * *

I have been updating like crazy lately. And if I don't update for a while take it as a good sign because that means that I am actually studying and/or working on an original story I've been plotting out for a while. And when I say a while I mean it might be a few weeks, but I have given you guys three updates in the past week or so, lol so get excited.

Eaglesnest, Harry and Ginny are meant to be. However neither is in a place where they are completely over what happened to them and the scars are fresh and still healing. They need to get past that, and eventually become friends. Claire is sweet and Harry feels genuinely happy with her, she isn't stupid though she realizes his situation and respects it. Ginny and Daniel are both hurting and have both been broken by past relationships and can learn to heal from each other.


	17. Too Much

Sorry its been a while… it's a little short, but enjoy…

* * *

"Your sure you want to do this Harry?" Claire asked holding Sophie and glancing over at Luna Lovegood waiting patiently in her office at the Quibbler,

"If she doesn't print the story someone else will,"

"Shouldn't you at least tell Ginny?" Harry just looked at her, he was cold to the name, he didn't feel anything when it was spoken, he didn't hear it at all, he just took Sophie smiled and kissed Claire's forehead,

"Everything will be fine, don't you worry,"

He walked proudly into the office where Luna greeted him with a strangely enthusiastic hug and then looked intently at Sophie.

"She's yours? This is the story? You and Ginny Weasley got married and had a baby without anyone knowing! Its amazing! I always knew you had the stealth of an Argentinean Agbroo!" Harry laughed, he had missed the wide eyed wonder Luna offered up

"Well I don't know about an Argentinean Ragu, but Ginny and I are no longer together, we do however have a daughter, and as much as I try to hide it, sooner or later the papers will find out and I want you to write the story exclusively,"

"Of course! Obviously Oh this is just like in fifth year with that toad Umbridge!" They reminisced briefly, so much had changed he had forgotten how long it had been since he last saw Luna

Sophie began to fuss slightly and Harry took the hint. They began the interview,

"When did all of this happen?" Harry took a deep breath,

"Well we found out last summer," he started,

"And by we you are referring to Ginny Weasley?" Harry didn't flinch

"Yes, we found out last summer, after graduation, after we had decided to end things, and decided to keep it under wraps for as long as possible in fear of too much publicity to something that was a very private affair,"

"I always liked Ginny Weasley, very nice girl," Luna said to no one, except to hear herself say it, harry stopped this time, if only for a moment,

" Sophie was born in December, and when we went to the Weasley home for Summer we gave them the news,"

"How did they feel about not being told?" Harry took a deep breath,

"In retrospect we should have told them, however when it happened we agreed we should wait until we were settled and had things figured out," his words were coming slowly, he was getting nervous,

"What did the two of you during your long absences with Quidditch?"

"Her mother took care of her at school where I believe the Dean was kind enough to allow for a house elf and I came to see her when I could," Luna paused for the first time in the meeting, and looked at Harry, then to Sophie, then at Harry as he looked at Sophie. There was a pained look in it, she understood in that moment,

"It must be hard to have a child so young," Luna stated simply

"I have help," he said looking over at Claire who was nervously pacing outside the office,

"You and Ginny are still friends then?" Harry did his best to crack a smile,

"She is the mother of my child," was all he said, Luna continued to ask questions, and Harry did his best to sound convincing in his answers especially because he had the idea Luna knew more than she alluded. She seemed to look at him knowingly which made him nervous,.

After about an hour they were done and Sophie had fallen asleep,

"Thank you Harry, I will send the story over as soon as it is off the press" Harry nodded and shook Luna's hand as he walked out, this was the first in a long line of questions and interviews and he was already feeling exhausted, not only exhausted and angry, very angry.

He was holding a sleeping Sophie as he walked over to Claire forcing a smile,

"Let's go home," he said taking her hand, she smiled back at him, he was just that kind of man. She had never had a man take the reigns for her, make her feel beautiful,

"What time is Ginny coming over to get Sophie?" she felt Harry tighten his grip on her hand at Ginny's name,

"I told her we would be busy this evening so she is coming in the morning,"

Claire nodded, there was no question she was in love with Harry she was having trouble seeing past this Ginny thing. She called it a thing because she didn't know what to make of it.

Harry wouldn't talk about her, she couldn't remember the last time she heard him say Ginny's name and last week he came to dinner at her place seemingly furious, and when Ginny came to drop Sophie off a few days later she mentioned she had seen him when she was out with 'Dan', he pretended he hadn't seen her.

"Okay," Claire said now walking Sophie over to her crib and laying her down carefully pulling her small blanket over her to warm her.

She felt to arms wrap around her, she took in breath slowly and leaned up against Harry's chest, taking a deep breath to smell him. He always smelled fresh, not like cologne, but soap, really good soap. He started guiding her out of Sophie's room and kissing her neck, she liked it when he did this, when he felt that close; that intimate. She had been thinking a lot about THAT.

THAT being whatever she felt she was always stopping herself from doing, it wouldn't be her first time but the last time had ended terribly, in screaming and yelling. They had been best friends and now they never spoke.

She didn't want that to happen with Harry, but he was making it harder and harder for her to use logic or any sort of reason.

"Stay over tonight," he whispered quietly in her ear,

"I," she paused, she wanted to, but she wasn't ready for it, not that, not yet, "I can't not yet," he put his hands over hers,

"We don't have to do anything. I just want you here when I wake up. I want yours to be the first face I see," he turned her around facing him, she looked in his eyes, not at them, in them, and smiled

"I can't really say no to that now can I," she went to his room and put on a large shirt of his and a pair of his boxers and crawled into bed, nestling her head against his chest, it was moments like these she wished would last for lifetimes.

He stared at the ceiling one arm around her, the other entwining her fingers with his. She slept peacefully almost more sure of their relationship than she had ever been.

* * *

The next morning Ginny left the Burrow excited to see Sophie, she had been hanging out with Dan at his place and she was quickly falling for him, they had spent the last few days laying their wounds out on the table, talking about broken hearts and lost love.

It had been nice, she trusted him almost completely, and there was nothing he wouldn't tell her. She had never experienced that before, a relationship completely open, with no hidden lives or thoughts, everything out in the open, everything clearly defined.

She put on a clean shirt and apparated quickly to Harry's, it was 9:30, but she couldn't wait much longer to see Sophie. She appeared at his flat and knocked on the door, she heard water running and suddenly the door flung open, it was Claire.

"Oh Ginny! We didn't expect you, Harry is taking a shower, I'll tell him you're here," Ginny felt a little awkward, she hadn't realized how far their relationship had come,

Claire stepped into Harry's room and she heard the water turn off, Claire came out and started gathering Sophie's things together. She was followed by Harry who came out in nothing but a towel and completely avoided eye contact with Ginny who was so confused at this point she didn't know what to think.

There had been a time when Harry with his shirt off was euphoric to her, she couldn't help but stare, she saw the birthmark that rested on his hip bone and wondered if Claire too had found it and run her fingers over it slowly as she fell asleep in Harry's arms.

She snapped herself out of it, it was silly to reminisce. Claire picked up Sophie and handed her over to Harry who cradled her gently and kissed her head softly. Claire handed Sophie's bag to Ginny, and Harry then handed Sophie over. For a second he looked into Ginny's eyes, and then just as quickly he looked away.

Claire eyed the two of them uncomfortably and attempted to smile, Ginny shut the door and left and it was though the air had been let out of a balloon.

"What's for breakfast?" Harry asked trying to distract himself from the situation,

"How long is this going to go on for?" Claire asked standing in the doorway

"What?"

"This hating Ginny and not speaking to her,"

"What does it matter to you?"

"It matters a lot because if that's how things are going to end between us I don't want any part in this Harry, its happened to me before and it almost killed me, I can't have it happen again,"

"I would never be like that towards you," Harry said trying to figure out what it was she wanted to hear from him

"You say you love me, but I'm beginning to wonder if you really even know what that is, because if there is one thing I know that you don't treat people you love like that,"

Harry was fuming now, "You don't know the hell that I went through with her! You don't know what happened between us!"

"I would if you would let me in help me understand! I've been there before," Harry shook his head and backed away,

""Really? You know?"

"I dated a guy for a year and a half and he fell in love with his business partner, a really sweet girl, married her 2 months later, all that time I thought I was the one, it took him 2 months to realize I clearly wasn't," he shook his head,

"Three years, just waiting for her to get out of school, I had a ring!" Claire looked to the ground quickly she wasn't sure she wanted to hear this,

"Harry I- I didn't realize" he cut her off

"That's right you didn't! You didn't know that I locked myself in the bathroom like a little girl! That I threw up because for some reason the idea of my other half leaving me ripped my stomach apart,"

"… other ha-"

"You didn't know that when I lost her I lost my family, oh I have Ron and Hermione, but the Weasley's who I have spent virtually every Christmas and Holiday with since I was eleven, I can't go there because of her, that because she lied to me about OUR child I have lost everything!"

Claire's eyes were welling up, every insecurity she had ever had about their relationship made its way into his outburst,

"She took it from me, so no I would never do this to you because you couldn't do that to me, and I will hate her, and be numb to her, for as long as I can,"

"But your not numb to her," Claire said just above a whisper, "You hate her, you still hurt, because you're not whole…" Harry shook his head, Claire turned around to gather her things together

"What are you talking about?"

"You said it; she's your other half…"

"I didn't mean,"

"I thought I could do it, I thought that maybe I could fill that place in your heart, that maybe I could be that person for you, but Harry you… you said it yourself, you wont let me, you don't want me that close," Harry felt the anger rising up again,

"Damn straight I don't want that! I never want to feel that again. I may have gotten rid of Voldemort, but that… I couldn't survive that again…" Claire had her stuff together,

"I don't care that I wasn't your first love Harry… but I would really love to be your last… I don't think… I know you're not ready for that…"

"Claire I-"

"You're just going to have to give me some time here… But while you hate her like that… your not ready, and I know that, and I love you so I will be here for you, I won't just leave you, but I can't be in a relationship with someone who isn't ready to be in one,"

"Claire please," his eyes were longing, for something she knew she couldn't give him,

"You just want a relationship Harry… you don't want me…" She shut the door… he didn't go after her, he just stood there, staring blankly into space.

Claire read him like a book. He did love her though, he could never love her like he loved Ginny and to be honest he wasn't ready to even think of getting that serious again. She was beautiful from the inside out; she had an air of confidence about her that made him believe in new beginnings.

She deserved better, a better man, a better version of him if he could manage to take off the baggage.

Ginny carried Sophie back to the Burrow. She laid her down for a nap, and sat on the bed herself her throat was killing her. It had been hurting her for the past few weeks but she was doing her best to work through it, distracting herself with her correspondence classes to allow her more time with Sophie during the school year.

Not to mention working at the local pub to make extra money for Sophie while she was living at home. School gave her an allowance to entice her to stay there, but it wasn't much and it was cut in half over the summer.

Dan added a nice break from the craziness. Time spent with him, everything slowed, it was easy, and it was fresh. The weight she had carried from her and Harry's relationship just didn't seem to hold her down as it used to.

"Ginny?" It was Dan,

"Come on up!" She yelled in a loud whisper, he trotted carefully of the stairs,

"Sorry is she asleep?"

"Its fine," she said kissing him on the cheek, "I just picked her up from Harry's" she added sitting next to Dan on her bed

"Still not talking to you?" he said rubbing her back gently,

"Nope and Claire is spending the night… in his clothes…'

"So they're…"

"I don't know, not sure if I want to, I'm not jealous, just weird"

"It happens, its normal to feel that way," she looked at him with a smirk,

"You are very sweet," he shrugged his shoulders and smiled, she reached over and leaned in to kiss him, it was soft kisses like these that made her like him as much as she did.

He put his hand on her face,

"You're warm, are you feeling okay?" she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder,

"I'm just tired," he looked at her disbelieving, "My throat has been bugging me, but it's nothing I can't handle,"

"Well be careful around Sophie, kids are really susceptible to that kind of thing," she traced her finger down his cheek,

"If it gets worse I'll get it checked out, I think I'm just stressed with everything I have going on now," he grabbed a pillow and set it in his lap, allowing her to turn sideways and rest her head,

"Rest," was all he said as he stroked her head, he scooted them back some more and closed his eyes as well,

"I need to be up by seven for work…" she mumbled,

"I'll wake you up,"

"Are you still watching Sophie for me?"

"I told you last week I would, quit stressing, just sleep,"

"Okay,"

* * *

Alright guys I know its been FOREVER… but not only did have finals, and moving back home, but I was in Hawaii for a week, and most recently spent the evening hovered over the toilet. I know this chapter isn't very long, but I planted a lot of seeds… I promise the next chapter will be longer and leave you feeling better ab all the characters I hope. 


	18. Crashing

THE CHOSEN ONE HAS A FAMILY AT LAST!

By: Luna Lovegood

Harry Potter and his Hogwarts sweetheart Ginny Weasley have had a child together, a little girl who is now nearly seven months old. When asked why they decided to keep this a secret Harry Potter stated that they "decided to keep it under wraps for as long as possible in fear of too much publicity to something that was a very private affair," Even members of the Weasley clan were unaware of the birth of Sophie Evan Potter.

St. Mungos said she had a private room for delivery, and the Dean at the Defense League allowed Ginny a house elf to help with her daughter, and Harry was able to visit during home games and breaks of the Quidditch season.

Harry and Ginny dated in the end of their years at Hogwarts Dean Thomas an ex of Miss Weasley stated "She and Harry… it always seemed fitting, her brother is his best mate and all", Harry has even been said to have spent every major Holiday with the Weasley family since his first year. As a good friend of Ginny in my Hogwarts years I can say that this is by far couldn't have happened to two people who loved each other more.

However Harry and Ginny are currently not seeing each other, Harry failed to mention Ginny's name once in my interview with him. When I asked if they were still friends, he stated simply "She is the mother of my child". He is currently seeing someone else but according to recent sources they have broken it off.

Harry Potter never had a family growing up, his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (who are now Hermione and Ron Weasley), were his family and Mrs. Weasley a surrogate mother. We can only hope that Harry is able to find a family in Ginny and Sophie.

Congratulations you two! See page 45 to witness the return of Cornelious Fudge: the Goblin eater

* * *

Harry put down the paper and shook his head, it was not the direction he had hoped that article would go, in fact he was furious that Luna had jumped to the conclusions she had. But it was the Quibbler and it was Luna. Owls had been coming in from everywhere requesting interviews and pictures but he was waiting for just one owl. And sure enough Pigwidgeon came later that afternoon.

Ginny was shocked, at what Harry had done, shoving his daughter in the limelight that he despised growing up. It really made her feel as though she didn't know him anymore; then again she supposed he felt the same way about her.

Luckily she had been feeling under the weather so she wasn't going out very much, but when she did it was as though she couldn't take more than two steps with Sophie without someone photographing them. She started leaving Sophie at home and leaving the house less and less. The idea of someone kidnapping Sophie always scared her. Though the Dark days of the past were over they still left a scar that pricked on occasion at the thought of her daughter being out of sight.

Though the worst part of it all was the angry letters she received. The Howlers that wouldn't go away, they taunted her in her dreams, threatening her. She had decided not to tell Harry because in all honesty she felt she deserved it.

"Harry,

I must say I am surprised that you opted to use Sophie as a ploy with publicity, knowing how you always hated it. She is your daughter and it's your life. I am being requested for several interviews, but I will deny them all unless you want me to do one with you. You are the father of my child, and if it will help you then I'm willing to let it be done.

I also wanted you to know I know that most of what Luna wrote was, well, Luna-fied… I have no allusions that you want to be anything more to me than an acquaintance.

I am getting pretty sick, I went to the doctor and they ran some tests, I go back tomorrow, so I was wondering if you could take Sophie for that time, I don't want her getting sick.

Ginny

P.S. I am sorry to hear about you and Claire… I really did like her"

Harry wrote back

"I'll come get her at six"

Harry spent the day responding to the letters he had received. A few from his teammates and a very angry letter from Oliver Wood, demanding to know why he didn't know all of this, and Hermione and Ron had written a letter that seemed very lofty. They told him they read it and commended how he had painted Ginny, but wondered why he had shoved his daughter in the spotlight.

Harry arrived at the Burrow at 6:01 and it was surprisingly silent. He heard steps coming down the stairs and to his disappointment it wasn't a Weasley. It was Dan.

"Hey Harry, Dan Curtis, its good to meet you," he said reaching out his hand and shaking Harry's. Harry just stared blankly at him,

"I'm here to pick up Sophie" Dan nodded

"She is upstairs sleeping still; I was actually hoping to talk to you,"

"Look if this is about the Quibbler I in no way have any intention of getting back with Ginny," Dan shook his head

"No I know that it's just… Ginny is sick, I don't know if she told you but the last few weeks its been bad, dizzy spells, she had a sore throat and she needs to see the doctor tomorrow. I have been postponing business to take care of her but I leave tonight for one and I won't be back for a week, the Weasley's are visiting Bill, Ginny didn't want to bother them but Harry she is a lot sicker than she is letting on. I put an anti-bacterial shield on Sophie so no worries there but… could you… could you check on her the next few days?"

"Did she ask to have you say that?"

"No, in fact I'm sure she would be mad to know I think she can't take care of herself," Dan smiled then his face went straight,

"What about Hermione and Ron?"

"They both work and can't see her during the day,"

"I'll see what I can do,"

"Thanks Harry,"

Just then Ginny came down the stairs with Sophie and Sophie's bags. She looked terrible, her face was pale and she didn't look like she had been getting much sleep,

"Don't look at me like that Harry I'm fine, just a little tired," Dan handed her a bowl of soup,

"Eat Ginny you need to,"

"Gah, I got this Dan you need to leave your train leaves in an hour," Dan looked a little distraught then looked at Harry and nodded.

"I'll owl you the instant I can," he said kissing her swiftly on the cheek,

"Good luck! Be safe!" he smile and threw the floo powder down

"KINGS CROSS STATION", and he was gone, Harry's eyes turned to Ginny, she had always been petite but she was looking smaller than normal, she simply looked sickly,

"Don't look at me like that Harry, I'll be fine after a few days rest," he almost glared

"How many days pray tell have you been resting?" she didn't say anything, "You should be at St. Mungos,"

"Oh what and have people swarming me from the moment I arrive, they don't leave me alone Harry! I get owls all the time from newspapers the second I leave the burrow some one knows! I received Howlers like you wouldn't believe! Saying nasty terrible things, I didn't want to tell you, I'm just stressed is all that's all the healers will say, but I am going today! Just leave me alone! Just let me-" she inhaled quickly and fell on the floor unconscious

"GINNY!" Harry hadn't said her name in months but not he shouted it with the utmost desperation, Sophie began crying upstairs.

"ACCIO SOPHIE!" he held tightly to her with one harm and with the other held Ginny and apparated them to the lobby of St. Mungos.

He was swarmed with mediwitches and healers who immediately reached for Ginny.

"What happened Mr.-" the healer paused and looked at Harry, "Mr. Potter" Harry was panicking staring down at Ginny she was barely breathing, Sophie was wailing in his other arm, he gathered his thoughts quickly

"She's been sick for a few weeks now; um she said something about a sore throat? I don't think she has been eating right," for the first time in months Harry regretted not having anything to do with Ginny

"We will do for her what we can," the healer looked around noticing people beginning to swarm around Harry Potter and his infamous baby, "I'll get you a private room to quiet her down in," he sent for a mediwitch to get Harry a room as he ran to keep up with Ginny's bed

Harry couldn't feel his feet below him as he followed the mediwitch to the room; as soon as they arrived she gave him a bassinet for Sophie. He didn't want to let her go, he didn't want to think that the fight they had may be the last time they spoke. He didn't want to think the stress from his malice filled interview had caused her the stress that led her to this. He didn't want to think that the reason she had kept away from the doctor was because she couldn't go out anymore. He couldn't be responsible for that, he wouldn't be.

Sophie stopped screaming, Harry was a wreck.

"Mr. Potter?" it was the healer,

"Yes-"

"Phillip" he said shaking Harry's hand, "Ginny is in a stable condition, she was dehydrated and as you suspected a little malnourished. We also found she had a long over due case of strep throat and this illness has begun to spread to her other organs, now muggles have yet to find a cure for this fortunately we have remedy to give her though it will require attentive care over the next few days"

"Here?" Harry said looking out the window of the private room, which was now swarmed with reporters

"We would prefer it, but given your situation a home stay might be better. Is there anyone to take care of her?"

"Yes, I can, it's the off season right now," Harry added

"Right well I will have the mediwitch instruct you of the remedy regime we have her on. As soon as she is hydrated we will release her to you" Phillip said turning to leave the room

"Phillip?" Harry asked, "Can I see her?"

Phillip smiled, "Yes follow me,"

This time Harry was prepared for the paparazzi, he shielded Sophie almost completely. He walked with his head down following Phillip into a more private sector of St Mungos. They stopped at room 408 HCU. Phillip opened the door and let Harry in.

"I'll bring in a bassinet for the little one" Harry nodded, but didn't look at the Healer; all he could do was look at Ginny lying there so helpless. Sophie started crying and he sat down in a chair next to the bed, holding her against his chest.

"Calm down sweety, its okay, just sleep" He had forgotten her bag at home with all of her milk and diapers. He was rocking her when a mediwitch came in with a bassinet,

"Would you like me to take her?" she asked, Harry looked outside the room nervously,

"No, I- she needs to stay with me, but I- in the rush to leave the Burrow I forgot her things, do you have anything?"

"I'm sure we do, I'll go get them," within seconds she had returned with a bottle and diapers, Harry started reaching for them

"Let me, sit with your wife, I'll take care of her right here" Harry didn't argue he sat next to Ginny, placing his hand on hers, he was so scared. It reminded him of when Mr. Weasley was attacked at the ministry. He felt sick. This vision had haunted his dreams during the War.

"She, she's not my wife," the mediwitch looked at him and then back to Sophie, "I haven't actually looked at her in months, or said her name but now, she, she is going to be alright isn't she?"

"She made it over the hard part, she'll be weak but she is tough, I'm sure she can handle it," the mediwitch put Sophie back in the bassinet, strolled it over near Harry, and quietly left the room

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he picked Sophie up out of the bassinet, and started walking slowly to the door,

"There is nothing to be sorry for," he heard faintly, her eyes were still closed, "Harry?"

There was a part of him that wished he could bolt to her side, say everything he had been dying to say, and another part wanted to run. He was so scared, he just left. Within minutes Ginny would be asleep again she wouldn't remember that he hadn't stayed.

Harry brought Sophie back to his empty flat. He didn't want to be alone tonight. He owled Hermione and Ron,

"Harry! We got here as fast as we could what's wrong?" Hermione exclaimed

"Your owl said something about Ginny what's up?" Ron followed

"She passed out. She's been sick for a while it was getting worse. She didn't get help so her body couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed,"

"Why didn't she go to the bloody healer then?" Ron shouted sitting down, putting his hands on his knees,

"She hasn't been able to go out much lately," Hermione whispered,

"Don't say that," Harry said turning towards the window trying not to blame himself.

"The papers, the reporters it's been pretty hectic lately" Hermione continued,

"The story. The interview I gave. She couldn't go out. It's my fault it got this bad. It's all my fault," Harry covered his face with his hands and sat on the couch,

"Is she going to be alright?" Ron asked quietly.

"The doctor said she is over the worst part, she'll be drifting in and out of consciousness for the next few days, but she should be fine,"

"Thank goodness," sighed Hermione,

"Is there anything we can do?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head,

"I just, I couldn't be alone. I feel terrible,"

Hermione and Ron stayed awake with Harry into the night and eventually Hermione fell asleep on Ron's lap. Ron stayed awake, stroking Hermione's hair and watching Harry with Sophie. He was trying to be inconspicuous because he could tell Harry was crying and no man likes to be seen like that. Before long though he too fell asleep and Harry was alone again.

He missed Ginny. He missed the way she could level him with her eyes, the way her hair flew across her face when she turned around in a mock rage, and the way she grabbed the back of his neck with her fingers to pull him in for a kiss when she just felt like it.

Harry had been near death enough to know that life is too short to be angry with people you love. Though he had been very aware of his own mortality it was hers that brought him back to Earth this time. She probably wouldn't take him back, she had Dan, but he would be her friend. They were friends long before they were anything more.

Harry fell asleep his arms holding Sophie closely.

* * *

The next morning Ginny awoke at St. Mungo's vaguely aware at what had transpired.

"Sophie!" was the first word she said when she finally came to.

"Is fine. Her father has her. I don't know where he is. He was here the past all yesterday and got here early this morning," no sooner had the healer said that, Harry came in placing Sophie in the bassinet.

"Hey Gin, how are you feeling this morning?" Ginny opened her eyes again looking from the healer to Harry,

"I, I'm fine I think, I feel a little whoozy but I'm fine. Wher-What happened?" Harry watched as the healer explained to Ginny the extent of the toll her body had taken over the last two days. Her jaw dropped,

"I am so sorry, Harry I am so sorry. I should have gone to the doctor sooner, oh my go- can you, Sophie I- that was so stupid of me Harry I know. I didn't mean for it to happen I just I couldn't go out,"

"All is forgiven Ginny," he said placing his hand gently on her forehead, she closed her eyes,

"Really?" her eyes were welling up. His face relaxed and he smiled,

"Yes," he nodded

Ginny was released a few days later under strict orders to stay in bed and regain her strength. Harry offered up his apartment because of its proximity to the hospital and the fact that he could take care of her while her parents were away.

* * *

--- And the friendship begins! Its been a while guys, I have been working on this chapter for months and its short, it is the beginning of them being friends. It is the beginning of them finally caring for each other. Though not romantically, their relationship will evolve in VERY interesting ways! Stay tuned! I hope I haven't lost all of you! 


	19. Witty Conversation

**_So its been a while and I wanted to give you a quick re-cap, Ginny just got out of the hospital due to an illness she let get out of hand and will be staying with Harry as she finishes recuperation. While in the hospital he told her he forgave her for everything Ch 18 isnt long if you wanna reread it. ENJOY SORRY FOR THE DELAY HOPE I HAVEN'T LOST ALL OF YOU!_**

"I'm fine Dan, I promise," There was a pause "No, no, stay, I'm fine the doctors said I'm fine you cancelled this trip too many times already," another pause and I smile "me too, bye"

Harry looked back down at the pot and stirred, he was eavesdropping. Apparently Dan did some work in the muggle world and used telephones, and Mr. Weasley had been very pleased to be able t have an excuse for using one. It was the smile and the "me too" at the end of the conversation that had made him nervous.

"Almost ready?" Ginny asked checking Sophie's baby pen, and sure enough she was still sleeping

"Uh yah," Harry said quickly off tracking from his thoughts

"It smells good,"

"Taste's better,"

"I never knew you could cook," she said smiling up at him

"Well it's been a while, I was on my own and I had to do something to impress the dames," He smiled and nudged her,

"Right because the whole chosen one thing just gets a little old,"

"After you have rid the world of the darkest wizard in a century, I don't know everything else just seems so blasé,"

"Oh you are such a troubled tortured soul," and on it went for the rest of the evening, a witty conversation interrupted occasionally by Sophie stirring in her nap. It seemed the road back to friendship was in their grasp, that maybe civility could be restored.

It was during tea after dinner that things got a little different. They sat in front of the fire at Harry's flat and Ginny watched Harry play with her. He puffed up his cheeks and blew 

on her fore head quickly before coming up. Ginny had never seen Sophie giggle that much,

"Since when do we play this game?" Harry smiled,

"Its something Claire used to do with her, she really took to her," he smiled then his face went a little blank for a moment before he continued playing,

"Is it weird if I ask what happened between you two?" Ginny asked curling up in the couch across from him, he cracked a smile,

"It's not weird, but I'm not really ready to talk to you about it,"

"Oh, I just thought—" she smiled, "Never mind, I'm just glad we are back to whatever it is that we are doing here," he nodded

"It's nice isn't it?" she yawned,

"I'm getting tired,"

"You know where the bedroom is," she looked a little startled,

"Don't worry I'm taking the couch tonight,"

"Harry, I'm not kicking you out of your bed," he laughed

"Sophie's bed is in the bedroom, so if she wakes up I don't have to take care of her, so no thank you Ginny for taking the bed," Ginny smiled

"Goodnight Harry Potter," she said walking into his room, Harry inhaled, and looked down at Sophie, it all seemed so almost perfect.

He rocked Sophie until she fell asleep. He knocked lightly on the door to his bedroom. When he didn't hear anything he stepped in putting Sophie to sleep, kissing her forehead. Then just before he left the room he looked back at Ginny before he could stop himself he went over brushed her hair away from her eyes and kissed her forehead, then left the room just as quietly as he could.

The next morning she woke up to the smell of bacon and cracking eggs.

"Morning sleepy head,"

Sophie was giggling, and it seemed for the moment that the world had stopped and everything was perfect. And then even sooner than the moment hit, her knees seemed to be uncharacteristically shakey and she grabbed for a chair and sat down laughing at the irony of weak knees.

"Morning, you know you really didn't have to do any of this I can go home, I can hire somebody, I'm sure Hermione would flip a lid if she knew she wasn't here for me during a time of need,"

"Shut up, I'm cooking and I'm good and you will enjoy it."

"I don't ever recall you being this demanding" she said leaning over to kiss Sophie's forehead,

"It's the whole Quidditch player thing, it's made me something of a celebrity," Ginny laughed

"Oh really? And what were you before,"

"Famous beyond all reason," he said quite plainly.

Her phone beeped again, it had beeped the night before while they were having tea and she glanced at it, smiled punched some buttons, and turned her phone off.

"That'll be Dan telling me good morning" she said resting her head on her hand,"

"With a beep?"

"No in a message, didn't Dudley ever text message?"

"Oh yes of course he told me all about it, did I mention I did his nails once and he braided my hair,"

"Was that before or after he had the tail?" Harry smiled and turned back to his bacon while Ginny stepped into the other room. She was talking in a hushed voice, it seemed calm, and again at the end as she walked into the room she said, "me too" just before hanging up.

"How's his trip going?" Harry asked stirring the eggs pretending to focus on a corner that seemed to be cooking too quickly,

"I don't know we didn't really talk about it, he was just checking on me and how I was doing, but I assume well. He apparently his really amazing at what he does,"

"Which is…?" Harry asked now slightly curious

"I really have no idea, but his colleagues love him, and apparently he belongs to some kind of wealthy family I've never heard of and I really don't care to,"

"Have you met his family?" Harry was now prying, he never took a girl to meet his family, because his family was his ex-girlfriend's family and Ginny was the only girl he'd ever really wanted to introduce to his parents but that turned into something of a bust.

"No," Ginny said quietly, "not yet, I mean I still don't really know where all that stands exactly"

"Oh," Harry said in a not so successful attempt at sounding casual, "So do you love him?" Harry then asked pouring the eggs onto two empty plates,

"He's a really good man, he's steady he keeps me grounded, he makes me smile, he's consistent"

"That doesn't mean love," Harry said shortly placing a plate in front of Ginny, then sitting down, "In everything about you, the way you spat witty comments like they were times tables, the way your hair looks when its wet, or even better when its stuck to your face with drool after a good night's sleep, does it all make you feel beautiful? Does every inch of you spill out in a million different directions every time you hear his name?" he then paused,

"I mean," he said, "I don't know much about love, only really happened to me once, but that's how I see it,"

"I like to think love like that doesn't happen to people, but it's given to them,"

"In that case," he smirked, "I have only once both given and received a gift like that,"

"I love him," she paused and he wanted to throw up, "But more as a friend I think I'm slowly finding out,"

"That's how I think my feelings for Claire were, but I didn't know it until she pointed it out to me,"

"So that's why it ended?"

"Not really, it wasn't exactly that, it was something else fueled by that,"

"How very ambiguous of you," Ginny smiled, "Still can't tell me?"

"I hated you too much, I was too mad at you, and apparently it was a testament to my inability to get over you, it, and I basically needed to grow up,"

"Oh," Ginny said eyeing her plate purposefully

"Yah, so I just made this breakfast more uncomfortable"

"Way to go,"

"I felt it was getting to comfortable, the whole breakfast with the mother of your illegitimate child, who used to be your girlfriend, who just took a call from her current boyfriend, and the fact that I'm not wearing knickers right now seemed to picturesque"

"I can see how that would happen,"

* * *

The next few weeks followed without a hitch. They didn't refer to their past, present, or the ever looming future. Ginny moved back in with her parents when they returned from their trip and she found herself missing even the presence of Harry in her life.

She stared at her body in the mirror. She was out of the shower and looking at herself. Her body had been under some kind of stress lately, with everything from Sophie, to being sick, to sleep deprivation, and now to be heading back to school with the stress that it encompassed.

More than she wanted to admit it she was scared about the coming semester. Things with Dan were steady but after a few months she didn't want steady. She wanted the warmth, she wanted the giggling, and she wanted the passion back.

It was becoming more and more clear that with Dan, she really didn't have that.

In him she found a tremendous friend. He was a rock in which she could find much strength in but at this point in her life she didn't need that. She needed to stand on her own and using nothing but her own strength to support her.

For now though she wasn't really given a reason for breaking it off and she figured that as September drew closer he too would begin to see that this was not going to last 

forever and while it had helped heal him from the wounds that had once defined him, it was not where he needed to be.

So Ginny put on her robes, and packed up her school things.

Harry had Sophie for the past weekend and would be coming to the Burrow tonight to join the Weasley's for a family dinner before Ginny and Sophie went back to school (where Harry would get a nearby flat). It was the first time the whole family would be together since the announcement Sophie's existence.

"Hello" Harry called out from downstairs, managing to swivel Sophie in the door along with a trunk of her belongings.

Sophie's raven curls would bounce in her eyes if they hadn't been clipped back with the scarlet bow Harry had bought for her. Her giant hazel eyes danced at the sight of her mother running down the stairs. She giggled.

"Oh hello gorgeous" she cried sweeping Sophie up into her arms as Harry laughed,

"Really Ginny no need for compliments I was just here for dinner" she shot him a smirk and brought Sophie back upstairs to be with her as she packed. Harry followed with her carrier.

"Oi! Harry is that you?" cried Mrs. Weasley. Harry sat the carrier down in Ginny's room, kissed Sophie on the cheek and sped back downstairs.

"Yes! Hey Mrs. Weasley, how are you?" he said giving her a hug

"Lovely Lovely, you know life gets a lot easier when you don't have seven mouths to feed. Fred and George paid for Arthur and I to go to Romania to visit Charlie, and then France to see Bill and Fleur, oh their daughter is simply beautiful! Come come! I have pictures!" Harry followed Mrs. Weasley into the backroom where seemingly hundreds of pictures were hung from the rafters as if to dry. Each one she pointed to with a certain squeal of delight.

Ginny was all packed except for the clothes she would wear tomorrow and she carried Sophie and levitated the carrier downstairs before everyone arrived. Upon arriving downstairs she went through Sophie's trunk looking for… YES ! There it was, a rich velvet scarlet dress with a golden sash strung across the waist. In it Sophie was the most precious thing Ginny had ever seen.

She drew Sophie's trunk shut and sat down on the couch, giving Sophie her bottle before the rest of the guests arrived. After which Sophie fell asleep quickly. In fact just in time for Ron and Hermione to come in through the front door.

"Ginny!" cried Hermione with outstretched arms, and then upon seeing Sophie asleep in Ginny's arms cowered a bit and kissed her on the forehead, following that with kissing Ginny on the cheek, "How are you feeling?" she whispered

"So much better," Ginny replied looking down at Sophie. Ron came in and looked at the three of them awkwardly, "Um, so where's Harry?" Ginny shrugged and she saw Hermione roll her eyes,

"He is freaked out knowing he has a niece, and even more freaked out that the father is his best friend," Hermione said now looking back at Ginny,

"It's been months since we told you all! Sophie is eight months old!" Hermione smiled

"Well it's also the fact that, well I want one…" Hermione said with a smile, Ginny held her breath to suppress the urge to convulse with laughter

"Scared is he?" Hermione smiled,

"Like you wouldn't believe," she replied beaming,

"That's awesome Hermione, really, it's sweet too, that he's scared, and it means he is bound to be good"

They carried on girl chatter, about Sophie and her latest antics, Hermione went into a rant about the horrid logic of those under her in the Department of Magical Enforcement, and about the last dim-whitted comment Ron made to her.

Harry and Ron opened up some firewhiskey and continued on with man-talk. Though Ron's eyes fell slightly when he witnessed Harry cooing at Sophie as she woke up from her nap, he had decided once and for all that perhaps Hermione was right; he did have the emotional capacity of a fork, or was it a spoon?

Fred and George came in drudgingly carrying with them presents for their niece and mother. They sat across from Sophie at dinner distorting their faces to make her giggle.

Platters floated across the table steam rising as they danced across the table. Sophie followed them happily.

"Any sign of magic then?" Fred asked looking over to Ginny then turning his gaze to Harry

"Not yet," Harry replied

"We may not see them until she turns two," Ginny added, "All children progress at different rates,"

"Oh yes," cried Mrs. Weasley, "Fred and George didn't show their powers until nearly a year, Bill at six months, Charlie year and a half, and Ginny at four months" she finished reciting with a grin

"What about Ron?" Hermione asked looking at Ron who was now red his eyes finding sudden interest in staring down his food,

"It was a little after two years…" Hermione looked surprised

"In my defense I was under a lot of pressure!" Ron exclaimed

"Pressure or not he didn't even shake a toy until he was twenty six months" Mr. Weasley added

Dinner went on as such for the next hour or so in this manner. Sophie fell asleep at the dinner table and a little bit after eight Ginny rose from the table.

"It looks like this little one is ready for bed and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," everyone nodded and followed suit in order to say goodbye,

"Have a good semester sis," George said hugging his little sister

"Yeah, take care of yourself, and the little one," Fred added hugging her then kissing Sophie on the forehead,

"I will" she said smiling

"Really Ginny if you need any help just owl me and I'll be there," Hermione added hugging her tightly. Ginny nodded and wished everyone goodnight as she carried Sophie up the stairs.

Her mind was running in a never ending circle.

'In the morning I need to pack my toiletries, empty Sophie's dresser, make sure my ticket for the train station is nearby, and be sure to ask mom about something to give Sophie for the train ride'

She could hardly sleep. Her life was so different than it had been last summer when she started to embark on this new life full of wonder and excitement.

She had begun to think over the past several months, if going into the International Defense League would really be right for her. Harry would most likely retire from the Quidditch world before too long. He really didn't need the money it was just a way to escape the hero complex that had caused him so much excitement in his youth.

There had been a great deal of offers for her coming out of school. More than anything she had wanted an adventure all her own. Now however, watching Sophie progress day after day Ginny had found she was pretty content with that adventure.

However the defense league would bring her to London if she was lucky where she could work and earn her own wages and really be able to live on her own and support Sophie.

It was strange. When she was younger she always envisioned getting married. She envisioned a houseful of children. Whereas now, now she viewed herself as single for the rest of her life, living with a daughter who loved her and the regret of a love that could have been but wasn't.

"Up Ginny, breakfast is downstairs, I've got Sophie, and Harry will be here in fifteen minutes to help on the train ride,"

"Up, breakfast, Soph, train, and what about Harry?"

"After you went to sleep last night he decided he would ride with you on the train and help you move in and be sure that Sophie wasn't too much trouble,"

Mrs. Weasley's eyes seemed to glimmer at this, the idea of having Harry back in the household and happy about it seemed to lift her spirits profusely. Really though, who could blame her, everyone had thought the twins would be the most trouble, but they seemed to only get into the trivial stuff. Whereas Ginny, single handedly brought scarlet to the Weasley name (red head jokes aside), and managed to scare away the closest thing they had to a non-ginger-haired brother.

The whole idea of thing going back to normal made her sigh in utter relief. School was returning and aside from the classes getting harder, Sophie giving crawling a whirl, and the fear and excitement that would come with Sophie starting or not starting to do magic.

When she arrived downstairs Harry was there feeding Sophie at the table. He looked clean. That was the thing about Harry, Ginny didn't know why but he always smelled like soap, clean and fresh. He used to say it was because he just liked being dirty in his mind but that was back when they first started dating and the whole idea of sexually connotative humor was new.

Now, looking back, he spent so much of his youth and adolescence in a constant state of sweat, dirt, and injury, there seemed to be safety in soap. It was the closest to normal he ever got.

With the appropriate home remedied packing spells she had loaded her trunk and was prepared to floo to the train station, Harry was to follow, they would meet Ginny who would have at this point picked up the tickets, and then in all its utter glory she would be on her own at school again.

"On her own" the words seemed to bellow in her ears as though they fiercely desired to be heard. She had now been thinking more frequently of how lonely her life must be. She didn't want any boyfriends she didn't want men coming in and out of Sophie's life. She wanted one man forever, she wanted one man to date, one man for Sophie. She didn't deserve daddy issues. And Ginny never wanted to give her any.

"Looks like mommy got enchanted by a gnargle," Harry was saying to Sophie in a voice he only used with her.

It snapped Ginny back into the world.

"You smell clean" was all she said as his smell flared up in her nostrils before she could stop her mouth from running with it.

"I use soap"

"How clever,"

"I think it makes me tougher"

"Man tough"

"Very"

They laughed as they finished breakfast. They gave their final goodbyes to Mrs. Weasley and it finally seemed as though they would be leaving.

And alas they did. They sat in their compartment with Sophie asleep and a charm over her basket so she wouldn't wake at sounds but had an alert when she made sound.

After a while Ginny realized this was the first time, in a long time they had been in a confined space, alone. It used to be their thing, snogging in closets and behind knights at Hogwarts. Sneaking around had been part of the glory.

"Thank you for coming today," she said almost to quickly

"It's not a problem training for Puddlemore doesn't begin until about a month of your term is over, so I'm yours until then," at the last line he seemed to pause as if he intended on adding, 'I mean my time is with Sophie until then', but Ginny cut him off,

"Does that mean I get to have my way with you?" she said looking at him quite sternly

"I think the product of the last time it happened is sitting in this very room and is probably a very good reason no ways should be had with each other ever again"

Harry again paused after he said this, it was that awkward pause when you want to add 'I mean I don't want to if you don't want to' and you never know what the other person really thinks or wants or what you really think or want. However over this awkwardness, Ginny conquered,

"Well I guess we won't be sneaking off into any compartment restrooms then," She smiled hoping he would catch the reference, he smiled

"That was really fun, except for the fact I had to explain why my foot was wet (from falling in the toilet) and you had to explain why your hair had a hint of blue soap in it,"

"Alas our days of young hormonal aggression have ended," he smirked at her

"Really? I find it hard to believe that you, my ginger haired lady, have your hormones under control?"

"Well let's just say you were basically the last one to see them in all their glory,"

"Really?" Harry looked surprised,

"Yes," her look was solemn now, she had wanted him to know, for a long time, that he was still the only one, "I wanted to tell you before but, I just thought you deserved that,"

"Same for me too, I mean you're still the only one," he let out a half sigh half chuckle, "I guess you're the only one for a lot of that stuff"

"Yah," the train ride for the rest of the time went on quietly both pondering quietly what it was that they had just said and what it meant but at the same time trying to act overly interested in whatever was outside the window.

_**Again its been a while, its summer im gonna try and write more I have a way I want the story to go but I thought you all deserved this  love you all really and truly R&R**_


	20. Toil in Trouble

**Welcome back! Hope you enjoy this chapter... a LOT happens and there is a LOT to unpack about it in later chapters soo without further adieu! **

The semester started fairly ordinary. If fairly ordinary meant that she started the semester with a child. It was strange for her to think that it had truly been just a year ago that she found out she was actually pregnant. Even stranger that after everything she and Harry were now friends. Maybe they were more. She couldn't rightly figure it out.

Things with Dan ended in the first few weeks of school. Try as she did, she couldn't convince herself to stay with him. There wasn't enough there to hold onto, even though he claimed he could hold on for the both of them.

The Professional Quidditch League practices were set to begin on November 2nd. Just two days after Halloween. When Harry was younger Halloween held no particular joy. In fact it was the one night a year that Dudley and his friends took terrorizing Harry to an artform. However when he came to Hogwarts he remembered finding Halloween to be the most "magical" day of the year. The whole castle seemed to light up and was filled with people.

Things had changed slightly for him now though. When he thought of Halloween he also had to recognize the certain sadness it held for him. The death of his parents. The death that he witnessed through the eyes of Voldemort. The view of Voldemort walking up the pathway to their home in Godric's Hollow and then... He didn't like to think about it.

It was 2:00 and Ginny would be back from classes shortly. Usually when she finished she came to Harry's flat, if Sophie was sleeping he and Ginny would talk and laugh. If she was awake, and Ginny had stayed late at school to study Harry would often fix dinner for them. He enjoyed the rare glimpse at what it would be like to be a family. He knew though that whatever he and Ginny put each other through before he didn't want to risk throwing it off kilter in any way.

Ginny felt lighter than air walking down to Harry's flat. Julianne had requested to watch Sophie on Halloween night with Dane. Ginny tried to turn her down, but with Harry in town this semester Julianne and Dane had rarely seen Sophie and were eager to spend some time with her.

Harry peered out the window and saw Ginny coming up the sidewalk. He put the tea kettle on and walked up to the door.

"She asleep?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, we had an exciting afternoon of playing with Daddy's socks as he attempted to clean out his drawers. She's been down for about an hour."

"Got a while left then?"

"Yes, I figure at least another hour, I put some tea on if you'd like any it should be ready shortly" Ginny smiled, Harry felt his heart twinge,

"I'd like that very much, thank you," Ginny sat down at his table and watched as Harry maneuvered about the kitchen with such ease,

"How were classes today?"

"Oh busy, after this semester we can start applying for different programs in various countries,"

"Thats right! Does it look like you'll be in Britain?"

"Well it would be ideal, being that I have a child I do get put on a preferred list for my assignment choices, but even then it's all about performance,"

"Performance?" Harry began to pour the tea into the teacups and place them on saucers.

"Well yes, on all of my final placement tests, field tests, and my overall rank at the end of this semester will determine my priority to different programs"

"Ah, yes right," Harry placed one cup in front of Ginny and took a seat at the corner next to her.

"Looking forward to playing Quidditch again?" Ginny asked, she could feel his knee barely touching hers,

"You know? I'm not sure. Some days I can't wait to be able to dart around that field wind hitting me in the face and just the exhilaration of it all. Then other days I would love to just stay here and continue what I have with you and Sophie," Ginny blushed and looked down at her tea, "I mean you know because it's nice being able to see my daughter as often as I do and I really get to become a part of her life,"

"Well I bet it will be nice to play again though, all the fans, your legion of female followers who can't wait for your next Quidditch Hunk poster," he smirked at her, some magazine had gotten a shot of him while he was playing last season and turned it into a poster geared toward teenage girls. Neville had sent him an owl saying that his face was plastered all over girl's notebooks up at Hogwarts.

"Well you know it's no secret that I am devastatingly handsome," he leaned in as he said this, and winked at her,

"So humble to," she leaned in slightly too, then gave him a quick kick in the leg.

"Argh! What was that for!"

"Oh come on boy who lived, a wittle kick in deh leg going to put you down for the count?" Ginny hopped up out of her chair,

"Come here you!" they began a cat and mouse chase around his living area and before she knew it Ginny tripped over an end table and toppled over onto the couch where Harry pinned her and began to tickle her,

"Looks like I win, what's our record now? 42-23?" Harry smiled down at her

"42-25 actually," she said with a sly grin

"Better than I remember,"

"That often happens," Harry paused unsure of what she meant by that.

"It's been a while since we've been here," They both just paused and stared at each other. Harry began to lean in to kiss her, at the last moment Ginny turned her head,

"I better go check on Sophie," she seemed to whisper. Harry nodded and pulled her up silently cursing himself. Ginny walked to Sophie's room. She was still sleeping.

She looked around at what Harry had done to the room. She hadn't really looked at it since Harry first moved in. There were subtle differences. She noticed he'd placed three pictures over her bed, on the left a portrait of his mother and father, to the right a photograph of the Weasley family taken several christmases ago, and then it was the one in the middle that had grasped her attention: It was her, well it was her and Harry, a photograph taken her final year at Hogwarts. She had never seen it before. His arm was wrapped around her under the tree by the lake where they often sat. She had forgotten how well she fit him. When they sat under that tree it was like he enveloped her. She felt so safe, so secure, and now look at her: she was going mad.

She shook it off and walked back out to the living room. Harry was keeping himself busy cleaning the kitchen when she came in,

"Sophie still asleep then?"

"Yah, looks like she'll be out for a while," suddenly Ginny remembered what she had wanted to tell Harry when she first came in, "Julianne and Dane are kidnapping Sophie for Halloween, so if you want we can apparate over to Ron and Hermione's place together for their party,"

"A night off from parenthood," he smiled

"Well a night off together I suppose, Jules and Dane will drop her off the next morning,"

"Wow, the evening is ours then I suppose,"

"What will we do until daybreak," It came out of her mouth so easily she only stopped to think about what she said after Harry turned back to her looking startled with an eyebrow raised, to which she just shook her head embarrassed and pretended to be shuffling through her book bag.

The afternoon continued quietly as Ginny pulled out some of her books and Harry attempted to look busy with his house cleaning. He could have sworn he caught Ginny looking at him on occasion and periodically he had to snap himself back from staring at her.

He remembered why he had wanted to be her friend. He remembered why he had let go of his anger. In the peace of this afternoon, in Switzerland, for the first time, in a long time he allowed himself to feel the love he had kept hidden in his heart for so long.

* * *

A week passed and before she knew it, Ginny was getting ready for Halloween. Dane would be coming to pick Sophie up in a few minutes and Ginny would then head down to Harry's flat and together they would make their way to Ron and Hermione's Halloween party.

There was a knock at the door and Ginny walked quickly to get it. She opened the door and hurried back to her room to finish getting ready. She hadn't been out in ages, she wore a strapless black cocktail dress, a single pearl on a delicate silver chain, and her hair hung loosely across her forehead and bounced down the rest of her back. She put on a pair of simple black heals and as she put on her last touch of make up Sophie began to coo behind her.

"I'm sorry Dane, I'll be ready in just a moment,"

"It's okay, I'll just read your latest issue of Witch Weekly,"

Ginny smiled and blotted her lipstick, Sophie giggled at the sound it made, Ginny looked down at her daughter and couldn't help but be enamored with her.

She dabbed some lipstick on Sophie's lips and Sophie squealed with delight.

She picked up her daughter and kissed her on the forehead. She walked out towards Dane.

"You look lovely Ginny."

"Thank you, Dane," Ginny smiled and grabbed Sophie's diaper bag, "So when should I come get her in the morning?"

"Me or Jules will come drop her off, don't worry you go have fun tonight!"

"Okay, thank you so much for watching her," She kissed Sophie on the forehead one last time, "Mommy loves you and I will see you in the morning," she handed Sophie to Dane who left for his flat. She grabbed a coat got buttoned up and made her way to Harry's flat.

Harry had been ready for an hour. For some reason these things always seemed to move more quickly that he anticipated. He got home from work showered, got dressed and it had only been thirty minutes. The doorbell rang and suddenly he unhinged himself from his couch and grabbed his coat before opening the door.

"You ready?" Ginny asked. She looked stunning, her coat was on but their was a certain radiance about her face that he found so intriguing.

"Of course let's get out of here,"

They meandered over to the apparation point, and then hopped on the train, luckily for both of them it was only a fifteen minute ride to Ron and Hermione's after that.

"You look really nice," Ginny said commenting on Harry's black button down and slacks,

"I feel like I look like I'm going to a funeral" he half smiled, it reminded him that in fact today was a day of mourning for him...

"I think it's lovely,"

"Oh really? You like the dark ominous look?"

"I mean could I really not? I did date Harry Potter during all of his dark and twisty years..." He raised his eyebrow,

"Touche my dear, touche" there was an awkward pause, "So this party should be fun, do we know anyone else who is going?"

"A lot of people from Ron's work, Neville, Dean, Seamus, you know, people from school, I'm excited to see Luna, it's been so long" Harry all of a sudden looked very embarrassed,

"Oh man, I haven't seen her since that awful interview," they both became silent, "I'm sorry for that, I don't know if I ever really told you, I'm sorry for throwing Sophie in the spotlight out of anger, and I'm so sorry for putting you under the stress."

"Please don't apologize Harry, I did awful things too, can we call a truce and say that all is forgiven?"

"All is forgiven," He smiled, she smiled and for a moment they just looked at each other.

The train came to a halt and they both managed to compose themselves and step off the train.

The walk took only a few moments and when they arrived they were greeted lavishly by Hermione,

"Oi! Hello! About time you all showed up, most everyone else is here!"

"Right, sorry, but we did come in all the way from Switzerland," Harry told her hugging her closely and then heading out to find Ron.

"Hermione, thank you so much for inviting us. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh no! Your mom gave me all kinds of spells to use during a party to keep things running smoothly so all is well! Come! Lets mingle about!"

The evening was spent catching up with old friends. A few of Ron's work friends were entirely too pleased to meet THE Harry Potter, and find out after that Ron had a VERY attractive little sister.

"Sorry about tonight mate, all my work blokes, I forget sometimes who you are,"

"It's okay, it's all died down now," he looked around the room, the men had all seemed to congregate in one area... surrounding a woman, Ron followed his gaze,

"Oh bollocks! Seriously? She's my little sister," he remembered himself quickly, "Sorry Harry it's just you know it's strange when your friends start, oh never mind," he felt ridiculous and insensitive.

"It's fine Ron," Harry smiled, "I'm going to go get more to drink. Firewhiskey?"

"Of course it's been ages!" Harry wandered over to the bar Hermione and Ron had set up. It was closer to Ginny and he finally got to take a look at her, he hadn't seen her before she'd removed her coat. She really was stunning. Ginny met his eyes and looked at him pleadingly. He understood, he walked over to her.

"Ginny I was wondering if you could help me with something for Ron," he asked, Ginny peeled away from the group,

"Of course, excuse me gentlemen," they all looked disappointed but Ginny grabbed a drink out of Harry's hand, and took it down in just a few gulps,

"That was Ron's so I suppose you can help me with refilling these drinks,"

"I hate it when they do that,"

"What? Who?"

"All those men they surround you like they are trying to convince you to go home with one of them. It's like they are all trying just.... I just don't like it, I'm not that kind of girl and that's not who I want" she caught herself, "what I want, what I want" he met her eyes and smiled,

"Well if you'd like I can scare any men away who try and talk to you this evening,"

"Be my fake boyfriend for the night?" he smiled,

"Well I have had lot's of practice," he put his arm around her, "Come on let's get Ron that drink,"

They spent the rest of the evening intwined with each other. Linking up in some way, Ron's friends realized this and backed off, after all Harry was still "The Boy Who Lived".

By midnight the party began to cool, most of Ron's friend's left, they had work in the morning. Ron and Hermione's Hogwarts friends stayed a little while after and before they knew it, only Harry and Ginny remained. Both considerably drunker than when they arrived.

"I 'ave to go to the bafroom" Ginny said, trying to stand,

"'ere, let me 'elp you" Harry got up and stabilized her and walked her over to the restroom,

Hermione and Ron began picking up from the party and putting dishes in their sink. Harry waited in the little hall outside the bathroom. He heard the flush and then Ginny fell out in a heap, they laughed.

"You always were a sloppy drunk" he grinned as he helped her stand,

"Well it's just good I have my knight in shining armor then!" she stood on her toes and kissed him briefly on what was supposed to be his lips but she missed and caught the corner of his mouth,

"You missed," He was looking down at her, her eyes found his and they kissed again.

In that kiss was so much more than he remembered. When they finally pulled away, it seemed they had both sobered up enough to realize what had happened, or finally happened.

"You all heading out?" they heard Ron call from the kitchen,

"Yes," Harry smiled, "Ginny needs to get to bed,"

Hermione appeared along with Ron around the corner and they began to say their goodbyes.

The train ride back to the apparation point they both sat in silence. When they arrived back in from the apparation point Harry walked Ginny to her flat. The pathway was steep and it was icy out, even in his inebriated state he knew the level of Ginny's drunken coordination.

She opened up the door to her apartment and stumbled in. Harry caught her again.

"What was that kiss?" she finally asked, breaking the silence they had subjected themselves too for the last hour.

He sat down on her couch, "I don't know Ginny," she sat next to him her knees touching his,

"Do you still... I mean, do you still have feelings for me?" he turned his body and looked at her, and before he really understood what was going on they were kissing. In desperation they were kissing. Reaching for each other, trying desperately to find the closeness they had been so long without.

The next morning Ginny awoke under a blanket on her couch, Harry's arm draped around her, his heart beating calmly into her back. She turned to face him. He was still asleep, scrunched up face, and his hair in it's usual disarray.

Ginny looked at the clock above her head, 10am, she was sure Dane would be here shortly to drop Sophie off. She peeled herself away from Harry and hurried quickly t to the other room to find some clothes.

When Harry awoke, Ginny was gone. He found his pants on the floor and began to clothe himself, trying desperately to figure out what last night had meant. Ginny came out of her bedroom dressed in sleep pants, and a large t-shirt. She headed straight for the kitchen and turned on the tea kettle.

"Morning," Harry said, getting up from the living room and putting on his shirt,

"Holy cricket, Harry you scared me, I thought you were still asleep," he smiled,

"Can I use your loo?" Ginny nodded and pointed the way.

When Harry came out Ginny was sitting at the table with the tea.

"Dane should be dropping Sophie off shortly," Harry nodded,

"Around 11 did he say?" Ginny shrugged,

"Sometime in the morning he said, so that would make sense. If you want to go change so he doesn't get the wrong idea, you could just come back and you could have lunch with us here,"

"The wrong idea?" Harry asked, suddenly very confused,

"Well, I don't know, is it? I don't know if I want everyone knowing that you and I made a drunken decision to sleep together last night. Especially before you and I have really had a chance to figure it out,"

"What is there to figure out Ginny?"

"You leave tomorrow Harry, for months, you will be back maybe a few days at a time but is this really the time for you to be starting a relationship? I have this semester to finish out STRONGLY so I can be in Britain with Sophie, and if things work out with you too,"

"I'm going back to my place. You reminded me. I have a lot of packing to get done." He got up from the table, "Thank you for the tea"

"Harry please," Ginny said grabbing his arm,

"Ginny let's just... take some space okay? We'll get dinner tonight," Ginny nodded.

After he left she was in tears and she didn't know why.

**Again, it has been a while! Thanks for sticking with me! Can't wait to get you guys the next chapter! R&R!**


	21. Something New This Way Comes

Back after a year long hiatus... enjoy! (reread the last chapter if your confused, it'll catch you up!)

The Long Goodbye

Chapter 21: Something New This Way Comes

There was an eery silence in the flat as Ginny tried to sort out events from the night before. Sophie was happy as long as she was in Ginny's arms and at that moment in time... that is all Ginny could want for.

Harry sent his owl to say he'd bring dinner by after he finished packing. Ginny spent the afternoon wondering just how much packing he could have left if he was keeping the apartment. Harry spent the better part of a year with only his rucksack and whatever Hermione had thought to pack in her purse. He was probably just as confused as she was.

There was an ease in being with Harry. Everything about it just fell into place. However after everything she'd gone through in the past few years... she wasn't exactly comfortable with things being easy, when things were easy, it seemed there was a catch, their HAD to be a catch.

Harry would be gone from November to February he'd probably visit intermittently in between. Long distance was hard. In her final year at Hogwarts they'd had to do the "Long Distance Thing" and Ginny couldn't help but remember how many more fights presented themselves.

She had a lot to focus on. School for one. While she was at the top of her class, she knew that other students would be gunning for her. She kept telling herself... it is ONLY four months. It is ONLY four months. Then she remembered where she was four months ago. A lot can happen in four months.

Harry finished packing by 1 and spent the rest of the afternoon looking at his photo album and the pictures that he had added to it in the last year. Pictures of Ginny and Sophie, Ron and Hermione, and he couldn't help but realize the sense of permanence Ginny's pictures brought about.

Maybe he was being overly sensitive this morning. Ginny was scared. After everything they had fought while they were in school and all of the life changing things that had happened... Ginny was always afraid of that personal risk. She was afraid especially after the last year... that he would walk away angry again.

He was done. He was done running away and he was done pretending that it didn't matter. It did matter. It mattered to him more than he cared to really dive into. He wanted to be with Ginny, and he had to convince her that she could in fact trust him again.

He would marry her one day, but only after convincing her that this long goodbye was over. They were through saying goodbye. After they broke up last year, there was a part of him that couldn't understand why. Ginny had always been in his heart. Why couldn't she see that? It was only after that he realized what she must have been going through.

He was with her, then he had to fight Voldemort, then he was with her, then he had to find Horcruxes, and all that time he was busy and distracted. She was left waiting and worrying and it was no wonder that when the excitement ended, she wanted to have peace for a while. Harry hadn't brought peace to her life. It was no wonder she chose seclusion over him.

Then she was pregnant. She did it all on her own, had the baby and afterwards... he'd been to angry to think of her while it seemed she was constantly thinking of him. She deserved to be taken care of. She deserved consistency in her life.

Harry just had to prove that he was someone she could count on. He was some one who could bring peace to her life. He was someone worth taking that personal risk for.

At around 4:00 Harry owled to say that he'd be over at 5:00 with dinner. Sophie was playing in her play pen and Ginny proceeded to get ready. She didn't know what she would say. She didn't know if there was anything to say.

They'd been trying to get it right for years now and it seemed that he was always leaving, she always had something to focus on that was just as important and she wondered if maybe all of that was a way for them to know... that maybe they weren't as important to each other as they had always thought.

After everything she had done that had hurt Harry in the past she couldn't help but think that maybe she didn't deserve to believe in silver linings. Maybe a silver lining was just too much to hope for.

When Harry came over at 5:00 his hair was its natural unruly, his clothes were nothing extraordinary but jeans and a polo were simple and comfortable. He was putting the flowers he had brought into a vase and setting the table for dinner.

When Ginny came out with Sophie just a few moments later... Harry's heart stopped. She was in every day clothes, but there was something about this set up that put his heart in his throat. He walked over to her calmly, he leaned in to take Sophie, as he was leaning in he put his arm around Ginny and kissed her. It was a simple gesture, as though they'd been doing it their whole lives.

As Harry took Sophie, Ginny stood there overwhelmed. She walked to the table on air. Harry pulled out her seat and she sat unsure of exactly what was about to transpire.

"So," Harry said sitting down at last, "I think we should date"

Ginny laughed at the absurdity "I get the feeling we are a little past dating at this point"

"I feel," Harry said with certainty "that dating is just what we need to trust each other again"

She got quiet

"The truth is Ginny, we've been saying some day for a long time, and I'm done with pretending that there is something more important than our family. There isn't. You and Sophie are what I want. However I think you were wise when you said that we have to be careful this time. More careful than we have been in the past. So like I said I think we should date. I would be honored to call myself your boyfriend, and to be able to tell Witch Weekly that I'm basically off the market"

She sat quietly taking it in, Harry's eyes were eager and she couldn't help but smile knowing that he was on edge. "Dating huh? You think you can win me over that easily?"

"I know a thing or two about a thing or two"

"What about Quidditch?" she'd wondered how they would handle this, what they would say when the time in fact came.

"I'll write you and visit you on any days off I have" his heart swelled, it would be nice to know he'd be coming home to someone after those long days on the road.

"You don't have to visit me on ALL your days off, to be honest there may be times that I can't do anything because of school" he laughed

"Well maybe I'll be visiting another lady in the area" he said smugly,

"Uh what do you-" Harry started cooing at Sophie... "Right" relief washed over her. They could do this.

That night the conversation flowed easily over dinner. Harry brought his schedule and Ginny got out her Syllabi and they talked about when they could see each other. It wasn't ideal but it was certainly better than nothing.

That evening Harry and Ginny spent by the fire watching Sophie play with her toys on a blanket. She would get upset when they got too close and it seemed like a miracle when they first heard her say "Ma-Dah-ee" which they perceived as a combination of "mama" and "daddy". They listened to music on the wireless and held Sophie until she fell asleep. When she did Ginny picked her up and carried her too her room to sleep.

When Ginny entered the room again she lingered in the doorway for an extra second just to take in her life for a moment. She supposed Harry could sense her gaze because he turned around and smiled and nodded for her to come and sit with him.

She snuggled herself beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and taken care of.

"You know, all through school, I longed to have moments like these with you," Harry said breaking the steady silence

"I know what you mean, it all seems too perfect," Harry took a moments pause,

"Its not perfect Ginny, this relationship will never be "perfect" with my pride and your independence it is never going to be a walk in the park, but you and I... have always fit" he sighed, "From the moment I met your family at the train station I realized that you lot were the family I had been missing. We fit because long before we had Sophie... we were family, not in a gross incestual way but in a way that says we'll sacrifice for each other because... thats what you do for the people you love"

"Harry," was all she could say, "I love you too"

They sat in the quiet for the rest of the evening and ended up falling asleep on the couch.

The next morning when Harry woke up the world seemed different, he and Ginny were finally together. There would be no leaving and there would be no more "will they won't they".

He slinked carefully away from Ginny. Stuffed a pillow under her head and drew the blanket over her legs. He went in to peer at Sophie who was starting to stir in her room. He changed her diaper and her clothes. He put her a blue jumper that made her eyes sparkle. Sophie giggled as Harry changed her clothes and smiled at him in a way that made his heart melt.

Harry placed her carefully in her high chair and made sure to put some dry cereal in front of her so she would have something to munch on while he made breakfast for Ginny.

Ginny woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon and eggs and Sophie giggling at some strange noise she guessed must be coming from the kitchen. When she finally rubbed her eyes and sat up she could finally hear what the noise was.

"Whos got pretty eyes? Well Sophie has the prettiest eyes," he was putting plates on the table and singing to Sophie when he said her name,

"And I say who has the sweetest smile? Well Sophie has the prettiest smile," he spun this time and Sophie clapped,

"And I say Sophie is my favorite girl, and Sophie's mom is my favorite lady-"

"And I say you are so busted" Ginny stood up giggling,

Harry was caught off guard though only for a moment, "What didn't I ever tell you that aside from my aspirations to be a World Renowned Defensive Wizard, World Class Quidditch Player, and the Worlds Most Eligible Bachelor... I greatly desire to be World Famous Pop Star" he did some kind of kick spin with his leg, and started dancing towards Ginny,

"Oh Harry Potter if your legion of fans could only see you now!" he pulled her in close and spun her around before wrapping her up into him. Behind her now he wrapped his arms around her and with his mouth right next to her ear he whispered,

"What would they say?" his voice spent chills down her spine, she turned around slowly,

"That I am the luckiest girl in all of the world," he smiled at her,

"I just want you to be happy," his eyes looked like those of a child, asking for the opportunity from Santa Claus

"Done," she whispered almost inaudibly. Even though Sophie was still smacking the table and giggling at the mess she was making, Harry and Ginny didn't notice. For a moment they just looked at each other. Everything else in the room had disappeared.

They kissed. One perfect kiss. It was the kind you give to someone when the only purpose is let them know just how much you care. There is no desperation because you already belong to each other. There is no hunger because they have already given you everything you need. The kiss is a token to remember, to pull out in times of sorrow, and remember a time when you were truly happy.

After breakfast Harry sat and played with Sophie while Ginny cleaned up. The houself would have taken care of it, but sometimes it was nice to be domestic to think of what life could be like. She finished cleaning, packed a bag for Sophie and went with Harry back to his flat to get his things and then followed him to the train station. It seemed that most of the other players had already arrived and were as such saying goodbye to their girlfriends and families.

"Oy Harry!" Oliver Wood waved and when he saw Ginny smiled as if to say 'I approve'

"You'll come to Scotland in two weeks with Sophie" Ginny nodded,

"And I'll see you the first week in December right?" It was like she was pleading her case for a dream to come true "And then Christmas at the Burrow with my family" they both seemed nervous, scared to be apart but thankful to be together.

"I wouldn't miss a moment Ginny," Sophie had fallen asleep on Ginny's shoulder, "I wish she was awake," Harry laughed

"Its her nap time after all" she forced a laugh, she was afraid if she didn't she might cry, "Oh, I'll miss you, so much,"

Harry's face was suddenly serious, "I'll miss you too but we will see each other, and I love you Ginny, more than... well more than I think I know how to put into words,"

"Kiss me," Ginny requested, Harry dropped is bag and leaned forward, placing his arms on her back, and pulling her in as though he'd never let her go. When he finally did she looked relieved,

"This isn't a dream, we're really doing this aren't we?" she said smiling,

"Finally, done with goodbye," He responded

"Good because that was a really long goodbye and I stink at goodbyes," she laughed as a tear fell down her face,

"I love you Ginny," He kissed her forehead and the top of Sophie's head, "I'll see you in two weeks,"

Ginny nodded, "We love you too, I- I love you too Harry," with that Harry turned quickly afraid if he didn't leave now he never would. As of now everything was as it should be. Well ALMOST as it should be.

Only a few chapters left. I hope you guys are satisfied with where this is going :-) PS thanks for reading. I can't believe the movie is FINALLY out :-) I cried a few times while watching it. I'm debating what my next fan fic will be about so sound off if you'd like!

Read and Review


	22. I Choose Us

"To the ladies I love most,

I hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits. My last weekend with you was wonderful and I cherished the time we were able to spend together.

I was thinking at the beginning of December we could take Sophie to the London Zoo. I know it may be a bit of an adventure out of Switzerland but it was just a thought, for the weekend. If you have a lot of studying I could take her and give you some peace.

How are things at school? You had a Beasts exam last week right? And a Covert Operations practical on Thursday? You are in my thoughts and I know you will do splendidly... if all else fails bat bogey hex them and they will know where your gift truly lies.

Things are going well here as I am sure you know. We are in second place only to the Harpies, looks likes they will be falling to the Cannons in a few moments and then first place is ours. If we hold on until the end of the season we will most likely be given a place in the finals and a bonus for any post season play.

I keep telling myself this separation is only for four months but it feels so much longer. I count the days until I see my ladies again. I can't wait to brush your hair away from your eyes and kiss Sophie on the head and be reminded again of what matters in this world.

I see you in 12 days time be expecting at least 6 letters from me until then. I love you Ginny! Good luck in your classes! Send Sophie my love.

Yours Always, Harry"

Harry had been gone for a little over 2 weeks and already Ginny had (including this one) a dozen letters from Harry. She always wrote him back immediately though to make sure he knew his efforts were not being squandered. Often her letters were shorter than his, if she had the time she could write pages and pages however, with school and Sophie... even with the house elf, time was consumed quickly.

"Harry,

I'm so excited for you lot! Going to the post season would be brilliant!

School is alright. Beasts exam was easier than expected and tomorrow I will be taking my Covert Operations Practical. I'm not too worried however if needed I'll have to remember to use that bat bogey hex. In all honesty with everything we've done in class added to the "hands on" experience I had in the field... It seems to be a bit of a cake walk. Cultures of Wizarding Communities of the World is likely to be my toughest final this semester. I'll see what I can do about calling Hermione to help me with it.

I wait for your letters each morning. It reminds me that this is not a dream and that you and I are finally what I'd always hoped we'd be.

I have to be going to class now, I just wanted to respond so you knew... that I love you and I'm thinking of you as well. Sophie just keeps growing, hopefully when you see her she'll be able to say daddy she is starting to. I'll see what a little more coaching will get us.

Maybe you could take Sophie to the Zoo and I'll take to studying that day. It would be a wonderful treat. We can stay at your flat in London for the weekend. I'll bring my books and just take in a day of quiet and then an evening with my favorite people in the world.

All my love, Ginny"

"Ginny you ready?" Dane was at the door books in hand. She grabbed her wand and left her books behind. She kissed Sophie briefly on the head,

"I'll be back by dinner. Thank you for watching her" she said to her new house elf, Biddy

"As you wish mum" Biddy was a very formal old fashion elf but she seemed qualified in taking care of Sophie.

"Where are your books?" Dane asked, now beginning to wonder if they were going to be preparing for their practical at all.

"Julianne got the Dueling room did she not?" Ginny responded as though it was obvious where she was headed with this.

"Well yeah, she's there now,"

"Alright then," Ginny continued on a steady pace. She started to walk more hurriedly as she saw Julianne on the bench outside the room.

"Finally you guys are here," Julianne said standing up tiredly

"We are 5 minutes early" Dane was confused as to why the 'Finally' was necessary at the beginning of the sentence

"It doesn't matter lets get on with this" Ginny signaled for Julianne to unlock the door.

"What in the bloody hell is all this?" the door opened and that was the only thing Dane managed to say.

It was an obstacle course Ginny had set up for them to use a study tool. She knew the only way you learned how great you really were was in the face of stress and danger. When the only thing pushing you onward was the adrenaline pumping through your veins.

Jules was surprisingly jumpy but after a few rounds of the obstacle course it seemed she fell into a groove. Dane was a little to quick to judge a situation which usually resulted in more damage than necessary and more injury than necessary but showed a lot of nerve. Ginny as anyone would guess, was a fierce fighter. She was never as good in one on one duels as she was when put under pressure. It looked like they all might actually make it until their final semester.

Ginny had long ago given up on trying to make more friends outside of her trio. After the baby was born, she just had better things to do with her time. On a happier note it meant that she wasn't growing AS attached to this place as she had become to Hogwarts in the time she spent there. Granted she had only been there a year an a half so far and still had six months to go but for some reason it all seemed to be taken care of.

After their "obstacle course training" they went down to the pub. They really only had a week left before final exams hit. These exams were the big ones. While next semester would only solidify their ranking at the end of this semester they were to begin applying to the various Defense League programs in Europe. The programs looked at the grades earned in this semester and the recommendations that this semester brought before they made their decision on who they would invite to their programs.

So far each of Ginny's professors had agreed to write her recommendations. Which was good and she was not first in her class but she wasn't far behind. Surely after her Covert Operations final she would be in good shape for a respectable job in the field and if she was lucky it would be in Britain.

"So what locations do you lot have in your top three for next fall?" Ginny asked, she was certain they could already guess where she wanted to end up but she hadn't had much time to ask them where they wanted to end up.

They looked at each other nervously, but Jules spoke first, "I've actually decided to take a job working in the Ministry of Magic in their Magical Law Enforcement Office. I've had interviews in Paris, Berlin and Vienna"

Ginny was dumfounded, Jules had been one of the hardest workers in their class. Her grades were not always a reflection of that but... why would she work in an office?

Dane smiled, taking Julianne's hand, "And I've applied for the League's in France, Germany, and Austria"

"But why aren't you just applying together? You could end up in the same place!" she was lying and they knew it. Facts were facts and while Dane would probably end up wherever he wanted Jules would probably get stuck in Serbia.

"The truth is," Jules began, "I don't want to work for the defense league," she took a heavy sigh, "I'm not cut out for it and I want to have a family and children that will see me often and I just can't do that if I work for the defense league. But this way I still get a wonderful education and hopefully," she smiled looking over at Dane, "A chance at something more,"

"Dane! How can you let her do this? All the hours of work she's put into this! How, I don't, how?" Ginny was astonished and a little hurt that she hadn't heard until now. Serves her right though, she thought, head in the clouds thinking about Harry while my friends are ruining their lives.

"I didn't put her up to this!" He looked over at Julianne who just laughed,

"Ginny, I decided this before Dane and I got serious. After watching Sophie as much as I have and just getting to see what parenting might actually be like... I decided... It's worth it," She smile and sighed, it was like she was lighter than air right now.

"There's nothing I can say that would change your mind?" Ginny asked,

"I've been trying to change it for weeks," Dane laughed,

"It's decided and I'm happy about it Ginny" Ginny took a deep breath and smiled,

"Well I guess thats it then huh?" Ginny lifted her glass, "To the two best friends I could have possibly hoped for," They clanked their glasses and set them on the table,

"Really I have to tell you guys, I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't have been there for me like you have been. I'm so grateful for you and I know I have been absent lately just know that I am so thankful to have known you"

Dane smiled "You know it is really us who should be thanking you, we would have never met if it hadn't been for you"

The rest of the evening progressed with the simple ease of conversations with old friends. Ginny stayed about thirty minutes later than she intended and got home to find Sophie asleep and the house elf warming the fire.

"Ms Ginny is back," Biddy observed upon Ginny's entry, "Ms Ginny be needing anything else from Biddy?"

"No Biddy. Sorry I was later than expected. Thank you for your help," Biddy bowed

"Biddy is pleased to serve. Ms Ginny's dinner is in the oven warming" with that Biddy left and Ginny went to the oven to get dinner. It was good food but Ginny wasn't hungry... all of this seemed to be so strange.

Jules wasn't going into the defense league. Ginny had a hard time believing it and while she cleaned her dishes and put them away she slowly began to understand. She walked around picking up Sophie's toys, folding up blankets and mentally going over the list for what needed to be done tomorrow... she understood.

She understood why Jules wasn't going. There were things more precious than a life of adventure. There were things more precious than accomplishment and the status of achievement. Sophie was more important than all of those and she wondered if she could really feel pleased with herself if she allowed Sophie to be raised by house elves her whole life. It didn't seem fair. It didn't seem right. More than that though it didn't seem like something she could really think about with only her in mind.

Harry. There was always Harry. He spent most of his youth dodging death and constantly worried that those he loved were in grave peril. Did she want to put him through that while she was on call. Granted the Wizarding World was at peace right now and there were no official conflicts... but there could be.

Harry had lost so much... what if one day she left for work and never came home. I mean death was always possible, and as Dumbledore had always said wasn't something to be feared... but should she really go running at it with fervor?

The next two weeks she walked around finally certain about what she wanted. She had fought for so long. Some fights were worth fighting and others were just foolish. She wasn't fighting her fate anymore and she was going to tell Harry.

It was Saturday, the first week in December. Harry got off the train with a fluttering in his stomach and a racing heart. He was going to be taking Sophie back to his house for the evening and then be joined by Ginny later that night after her tutoring sessions with her professors. She was working hard and she was stressed... but for the first time in a long time she didn't shut him out.

She told him point blank about the stress she was under but assured him that seeing him would be a relief. Being with him she had said "would finally give me (her) a safe haven from all of these exams".

They had been writing every day. He had kept his promise. He was someone she could depend on. He was someone who brought less stress to her life rather than more. More than anything though... he was happy. Happier than he had been months, years it seemed.

He was supposed to be meeting Ginny at her flat but to his surprise she was there waiting for him when he got off the train. He saw her first. She looked nervous and excited and kept scanning the crowd,

"Oi! Ginny!" he yelled. She saw him and her face brightened, she ran towards him, and swung her arms around his neck,

"Oh I've missed you!" she buried her head in his neck and she just breathed him in... it was the soap, the aftershave, the subtle stubble on his neck. It was Harry. Just Harry.

"Let me look at you," he said, he set her down on the ground and just looked at her. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her hair blown in front of her eyes. He drew her hair away and for a moment just held her face, "Sometimes I forget just how beautiful you are,"

"I want to talk to you," she said guiding him to the local pub, "I have to go in about an hour to my study session but I have my things with me, after we talk you can go get Sophie and I'll see you later tonight,"

"I hope this is a good, 'want to talk to you' moment" He was nervous,

"It is I promise" she smiled "I came to a decision a few weeks ago," she pushed open the bar door and he followed her to a booth by the window, "I'm so excited I didn't want to wait until tonight to tell you"

"Okay," he said sitting across from her still holding onto her hands.

"I always thought," she began, "that I wanted to work in the field, you know going out catching bad guys, spreading peace and what ever that entailed," Harry nodded

"The thing is, I realized these last few weeks, I don't want to have Sophie raised by house elves. I don't want to go on assignment for days and not be able to tell you where I am," she took a deep breath "I don't want to put my life in danger every day... just to say that I did," she kissed his hands, "I want to be home when you get home, I want to be able to spend time with our daughter and have time to cook and clean and create a home for us,"

"I choose us, Harry, I choose us. I resubmitted my application to the British Defense League as a logistic analyst, or someone who works in an office, so I can be home with you"

Harry paused for a moment taking this in, "Ginny you don't have to do that. I don't have to play Quidditch, I could stay at home and take care of Sophie. She wouldn't be raised by house elves and we could still be a family,"

"Harry, I don't have to. I know that... I want to, I want to work and I love that you play Quidditch, I think after all your time defending Wizarding Kind its about time you got to catch a break and do something you love. I love you and I want to do this, for me, for you and for her. I told you Harry I choose us." she smiled. It was a cool smile she was comfortable with her decision and couldn't imagine a life any different than the one they were about to embark on,"

"You know," Harry said as he stood up, "you say all of this like you and I are going to end up together or something," he was grinning,

"Well," Ginny replied as she stood up, "I'd like to think... I know a thing or two about a thing or two,"

That evening Ginny sat through her tutoring session hinged on every word. She wasn't going to mess this up. there were no more questions about it. She was done saying what if. She was going to work at the British Defense League and they would be lucky to have her on their team.

Harry left Ginny's floating on a cloud. There was nothing stopping them now. They finally trusted each other. After all this time... they were ready. He took Sophie and apparated to Ottery St. Catchpole. He had a question for the man of the house.

When he left a little while later with Sophie in tow, he was certain, that this is exactly how it was always meant to be.

When Ginny arrived at his flat that night she noticed the change in Harry. The certainty by which he moved. It was the same feeling she had been walking around with for weeks. She went bed after him and when she curled up next to him and he folded into her there was never a place she felt more at home.

A/N: Hope you guys are as excited as I am in where the next chapter will go! I think the next chapter will be the last with a prologue to follow as the 24th chapter.

I'm looking for ideas of who my next story should be about! Lily and James Potter and the Marauders? Maybe a story of Sirius Black? Or of the new generation of kids at Hogwarts, Albus, James, and Rose? Let me know what you think!

As always Read and Review, I love hearing what you have to say about my story! And I'm so grateful for any feedback you can give!


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